as in eavesdropping (on)
to listen to (another in private conversation)
it's not polite to listen in on other people's private conversations
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for listening in (on)
Verb
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Outside of Puerto Vallarta, airlines were carefully monitoring flight operations on a case-by-case basis.—
Michael Cappetta,
Travel + Leisure,
23 Feb. 2026 -
Local departments of social services were also cited for weaknesses in managing bank accounts, following procurement rules, monitoring contracts and ensuring lawful disbursements.—
J.B. Jennings,
Baltimore Sun,
22 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The clinic is to provide that information at the next status hearing on March 4.—
Martin E. Comas,
The Orlando Sentinel,
25 Feb. 2026
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Make better hearing easy and accessibly priced.—
Tory Johnson,
ABC News,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
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At the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, Arthur and Alysa were targeted in a spying operation that the US Justice Department alleges was ordered by the Chinese government.—
Lea Veloso,
StyleCaster,
17 Feb. 2026
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The spying operation was unusually vast and allowed the hackers to hoover up sensitive information in apparent coordination with geopolitical events, such as diplomatic missions, trade negotiations, political unrest and military actions, according to the report.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The internal monologue is perhaps the more obvious choice for paranoid fiction, but by writing in dialogue, Dorfman puts us in the place of the listener with an ear pressed to a closed door, overhearing the anxious voices.—
James Folta,
Literary Hub,
5 Feb. 2026
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Dogs also learned new object names by overhearing them.—
Liz Regalia,
Parents,
25 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Listening in (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/listening%20in%20%28on%29. Accessed 27 Feb. 2026.
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