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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The development comes as global health officials continue monitoring the rare hantavirus outbreak tied to the MV Hondius, which has sickened multiple passengers.—
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
18 May 2026 -
Five years from now, monitoring your brain health passively and continuously will seem as normal as tracking your heart rate.—
Alex Knapp,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
Verb
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What’s clear in hearing Tuch talk is that the decision isn’t going to be solely about money.—
Matthew Fairburn,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
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The 911 caller also reported hearing gunshots, leading to a large police response out of caution.—
Dan Raby,
CBS News,
20 May 2026
Verb
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But as examples like those above illustrate, there’s little reason for companies to resort to outright spying like this, because users simply can’t wait to divulge the most intimate details of their minds and bodies voluntarily.—
Nate Anderson,
ArsTechnica,
14 May 2026
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Everything about this, particularly the spying part, seems positivily Hitchcockian.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
14 May 2026
Verb
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The episode ends with Teddy getting a voicemail from Owen and overhearing a bridge collapse and car crash that may be fatal.—
Taijuan Moorman,
USA Today,
1 May 2026
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Another resident reported frequently overhearing arguing coming from the apartment.—
Colin Mixson,
New York Daily News,
1 May 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 21 May. 2026.
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