overheard

past tense of overhear
as in heard
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 overheard Brian continues to apologize, but Murtagh isn’t hearing it, and soon Balloch — who, by the way, overheard at least part of that conversation — beckons Brian and Murtagh back into the church. Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 12 Sep. 2025 That's bad news for Arizonans hoping to catch a sight of the spacecraft soaring overheard, but those willing to make a trip to the launch site in the neighboring state will still be treated to an incredible view of the Falcon 9 blasting off from the ground. Eric Lagatta, AZCentral.com, 5 Sep. 2025 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 But his younger brother — and her secret boyfriend — Alex (Ashby Gentry) overheard their entire passionate confession. EW.com, 28 Aug. 2025 Nix ordered her to clean the office immediately and was overheard by another prison employee nearby. Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Aug. 2025 Mortensen, who came within 3 feet of Kohberger on the night of the massacre but escaped harm herself, overheard that utterance, according to court documents as well as recently released police records. Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 20 Aug. 2025 Attorneys for the state, which oversees operations at Alligator Alcatraz, said attorneys can already meet with their clients without being overheard by guards. Miami Herald, 19 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overheard
Verb
  • In a video taken by a security camera at his mother's driveway, obtained by ABC News, a federal agent can be heard asking Gamez Lira to turn off the engine and to not resist.
    Armando Garcia, ABC News, 18 Sep. 2025
  • Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office What To Know Videos posted on social media after the shooting showed officers carrying Zinn from the scene as students can be heard screaming.
    Khaleda Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • In concert with the premature switching off of sets, Bills fans were spied filing out of Highmark Stadium shortly after Henry seemingly put the game out of reach.
    Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 9 Sep. 2025
  • Within minutes my father spied Ernie Banks signing autographs at the wall.
    Donna Vickroy, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • As Washington prepares to begin camp later this month, Coulibaly's recovery will be closely monitored.
    Grant Afseth, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
  • And the day also commemorates that quietly, the ozone layer continues its recovery, monitored by satellites that confirm what the Montreal Protocol set in motion decades ago.
    Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Overheard.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overheard. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on overheard

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!