Thesaurus results for OVERHEAR

overhear

verb

ˌō-vər-ˈhir

Definition of overhear

as in to hear

to listen to (another in private conversation) it's not polite to try to overhear intimate friends sharing confidences

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of overhear 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 The following morning, on the train back to London, people could be overheard complimenting the play and discussing its big revelations. — Emily Zemler, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2026 At one point, Piker overhears his brother telling me about his old job as an aerospace engineer at Boeing. — Josh Eells, Rolling Stone, 9 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 See All Example Sentences for overhear

Recent Examples of Synonyms for overhear

Verb

Was hearing Roland Hayes and, in time, other inspiring artists sing Schubert, Brahms, and Schumann songs like being beckoned by a musical brook to trust her instincts and follow its unlikely path?

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Sep. 2026
Lyle and Erik Menendez have been granted an early parole hearing for March 2027, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation records show.

— Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of hear

Verb

There’s a lot of things that’ll have to be monitored and looked at to determine what’s the best way to manage a playing surface in that building.

— Tim Graham, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
For instance, BlockBlock, the software that monitors Macs for processes that seek to permanently install themselves, can block ClickFix attacks as soon as a user presses the ⌘+V keys.

— Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of monitor

Verb

That followed the tumultuous tenure of Jim Harbaugh that included a 2023 national title as well as a spying scandal and NCAA sanctions for recruiting violations.

— CBS News, CBS News, 7 Sep. 2026
To the north of the fire, between a forest and a small dirt road, Olstead spied a green field—the jump spot.

— M. R. O’Connor, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of spy

Browse Nearby Words

overheads

overhear

overheard

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Overhear.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overhear. Accessed 17 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of overhear

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

watershed

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Popular in Wordplay

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Games & Quizzes