LISTENING IN (ON) Synonyms: 15 Similar Words

listening in (on)

verb

present participle of listen in (on)

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

As the outbreak spreads and kills people faster than any other outbreak of the disease in history, a major source of concern for monitoring efforts is miners constantly on the move and in hard-to-reach, unsafe territories.

— ABC News, ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026
The Justice Department said approximately four attorneys from its Civil Rights Division are monitoring polls in Miami-Dade.

— Sergio Candido, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of monitoring

Verb

People hearing those stories—attorneys, reporters, healthcare workers or friends—may expect a clearer, linear narrative.

— Michele Patterson Ford, Scientific American, 22 Aug. 2026
Up until that point, all of my recordings were just me and my guitar, so hearing the drums and the extra vocals blew my mind.

— Caleb Hellerman, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of hearing

Verb

Why does English football view spying as a heinous crime while other countries openly admit to using drones to study upcoming opponents?

— Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
Just across the sea lie North Korea, China and Russia, which all have powerful spying capacities that Japan isn’t fully equipped to fend off.

— Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 31 July 2026

Definition of spying

Verb

We weren’t allowed to leave the room to prevent anyone from overhearing our conversations and perhaps posting [the questions] on the Internet.

— Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 11 Aug. 2026
But despite getting back together in season two, the finale ended on a cliffhanger of Alex overhearing Jackie confess her love to his brother Cole.

— Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 8 Aug. 2026

Definition of overhearing

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

listening

listening in (on)

listening (to)

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“Listening in (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/listening%20in%20%28on%29. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of listening in (on)

verb

Example Sentences

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