as in heard
to listen to (another in private conversation)
it's not polite to try to overhear intimate friends sharing confidences
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of overheard
Singer Sam Smith is reportedly engaged to British designer Christian Cowan, according to a source who allegedly overheard the couple discussing their betrothal in the lobby of a Manhattan hotel.
—
Assistant Editor, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026
Sakeena was standing nearby and overheard much of the conversation.
—Literary Hub, 4 May 2026
Unbeknownst to me, a manager overheard our conversation.
—Charleen Richey, Chicago Tribune, 1 May 2026
Police said at the time of Berera’s arrest that the girl’s boyfriend overheard a lewd conversation between her and Berera and notified her mother, who called police.
—Nate Gartrell, Sacbee.com, 30 Apr. 2026
Police said at the time of Berera’s arrest that the girl’s boyfriend overheard a lewd conversation between her and Berera and notified her mother, who called police.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 29 Apr. 2026
Kelsey Pomeroy once overheard her husband bragging about her to one of his engineering coworkers.
—Madeline Mitchell, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2026
The calls, according to people who overheard them, were not always amicable.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 15 Apr. 2026
In a now-viral clip, Carpenter overheard someone from the crowd trilling during her set for Weekend 1 and asked if the audience member was yodeling.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 11 Apr. 2026
Assistant Editor, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026
Sakeena was standing nearby and overheard much of the conversation.
—Literary Hub, 4 May 2026
Unbeknownst to me, a manager overheard our conversation.
—Charleen Richey, Chicago Tribune, 1 May 2026
Police said at the time of Berera’s arrest that the girl’s boyfriend overheard a lewd conversation between her and Berera and notified her mother, who called police.
—Nate Gartrell, Sacbee.com, 30 Apr. 2026
Police said at the time of Berera’s arrest that the girl’s boyfriend overheard a lewd conversation between her and Berera and notified her mother, who called police.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 29 Apr. 2026
Kelsey Pomeroy once overheard her husband bragging about her to one of his engineering coworkers.
—Madeline Mitchell, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2026
The calls, according to people who overheard them, were not always amicable.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 15 Apr. 2026
In a now-viral clip, Carpenter overheard someone from the crowd trilling during her set for Weekend 1 and asked if the audience member was yodeling.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 11 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overheard
Verb
-
The noise of the shots was heard in the ballroom, where guests were finishing an appetizer before the main course at the annual dinner.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
11 May 2026
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In the video, one person could be heard calling out derogatory names, and another person told Moreno to get a gun before three shots rang out.—
Shannon Tyler,
Idaho Statesman,
11 May 2026
Verb
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For years, the rover ascended a feature called Mount Sharp within the crater, aiming to reach clay-rich layers that orbiters circling the planet had spied.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
24 Apr. 2026
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And Mindi said at one point she was being spied upon.—
Erin Moriarty,
CBS News,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The batteries inside utility-scale storage facilities are built to far stricter standards, sited under the most rigorous fire code in the country, and monitored 24/7.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
10 May 2026
-
Andrew Mulani, the bongo program assistant at the conservancy, said the bongos are monitored for months before being reintroduced into the wild to ensure that the shyest ones are selected because docile animals would fall easily to predators.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overheard.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overheard. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
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