listening in (on)

Definition of listening in (on)next
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
  • Elsewhere, traders will be monitoring Federal Reserve chair nominee Kevin Warsh’s confirmation hearing on Tuesday.
    Joseph Wilkins, CNBC, 21 Apr. 2026
  • City officials have been closely monitoring the river levels as the forecasts evolved, said Public Works Director Tim Watkins.
    Adriana Pérez, Chicago Tribune, 19 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • State Department officials speaking at a US Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee hearing on Tuesday defended Washington’s approach as a pragmatic reset from aid-dependent policies.
    Adrian Elimian, semafor.com, 22 Apr. 2026
  • Kash Patel, director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), during a House Intelligence Committee hearing on worldwide threats in Washington, DC, US, on Thursday, March 19, 2026.
    Dan Mangan, CNBC, 22 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Kohler and Paris were accused of spying for France and Israel and sentenced to lengthy prison terms in October 2025.
    Joseph Ataman, CNN Money, 13 Apr. 2026
  • John offers to marry Claire to protect her when the British Army wants to arrest her for spying.
    Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 26 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • For creator Lee Sung Jin, the inspiration came from overhearing a heated dispute inside a couple’s home.
    Ryan Brennan, Sacbee.com, 16 Apr. 2026
  • The only real threat is a whistleblower, like an outcast kid overhearing the whole criminal scheme from the floor below his mother’s office.
    Scott Tobias, Vulture, 12 Apr. 2026
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.

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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 23 Apr. 2026.

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