listen in (on)

as in to eavesdrop (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 listen in (on)
Verb
  • Still, investors will want to hear about how tariffs could shape the company’s future and how Nvidia plans to continue investing in AI infrastructure.
    Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2025
  • Taste authentic German food and hear a lineup of new bands every day.
    Caroline Ritzie, The Enquirer, 28 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • The Dallas Mavericks have been one of the most interesting teams to monitor over the last six months.
    Matthew Schmidt, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Aug. 2025
  • Someone else would monitor communications to make sure law enforcement wasn't responding.
    Bebe Hodges, The Enquirer, 25 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • When Leo first spies the orphaned Josie singing on a Boston street corner, he’s struck by her resemblance to the Pendleton family, his father’s former employers and the victims of great tragedy when their baby was kidnapped in 1880.
    EW.com, EW.com, 28 Aug. 2025
  • Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the Pentagon has deployed unmanned aircraft for spying missions over the Black Sea, with one drone downed by a Russian fighter jet in March 2023.
    Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Kizer – their father – was on the phone with her and overheard parts of the spat.
    Meredith Colias-Pete, Chicago Tribune, 2 Sep. 2025
  • Our social voyeurism may have deep evolutionary roots The human fascination with watching others—whether through reality TV, Instagram stories or overheard drama—is often dismissed as nosiness.
    Clarissa Brincat, Scientific American, 1 Sep. 2025
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

“Listen in (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/listen%20in%20%28on%29. Accessed 5 Sep. 2025.

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