listens in (on)

present tense third-person singular of listen in (on)
as in eavesdrops (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 listens in (on)
Verb
  • The Washington Post said the claim appears to be based on information submitted to the federal Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, which monitors the safety of shots approved or authorized by the Food and Drug Administration.
    Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 12 Sep. 2025
  • Open Doors, which monitors Christian persecution around the world, claimed some 70 were, Monday night, killed while worshiping at a funeral service, with the rest slain in the villages of Potodu and Ntoyo in the DRC’s North Kivu region.
    Paul Tilsley, FOXNews.com, 12 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • From another room, the mechanic hears him dragging his leg and knows deep in his bones that this is the man who tortured him in prison.
    Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 10 Sep. 2025
  • Deadline hears that the field of candidates to become Channel 4’s chair has narrowed, with Debbie Wosskow, a digital entrepreneur and serving C4 board member, now out of the running.
    Jake Kanter, Deadline, 9 Sep. 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
Verb
  • In the book, Jackie admits her feelings to Cole, and Alex overhears the conversation.
    Julia Moore, People.com, 31 Aug. 2025
  • However, as the movie progresses, Se-ri overhears her mother discussing Yun-seok’s home life.
    Kayti Burt, Time, 29 Aug. 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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“Listens in (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/listens%20in%20%28on%29. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.

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