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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of overheard
Quotidian sounds such as traffic, bleeping devices, or pop music overheard in crowded spaces make up much of the source material for her expansive sound collages.
—
Levi Dayan, Pitchfork, 9 June 2026
Conversations overheard in the Geffen Galleries mostly revolve around attempts to meet up when one in a party has gone astray.
—Dana Goodyear, New Yorker, 4 June 2026
The outlet also said correspondents overheard shots near the Eisenhower Executive Office Building.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 23 May 2026
Residents walked horses through a neighborhood as a Los Angeles County Fire Department helicopter flew overheard.
—Sean Emery, Daily News, 18 May 2026
Randall and Julie are also overheard by Sophia, who is always listening in on these characters without being noticed.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 17 May 2026
So, pay attention to what grabs your attention now, because the cosmos could be delivering a message through the most random interaction, TikTok scroll or overheard conversation.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 15 May 2026
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
Levi Dayan, Pitchfork, 9 June 2026
Conversations overheard in the Geffen Galleries mostly revolve around attempts to meet up when one in a party has gone astray.
—Dana Goodyear, New Yorker, 4 June 2026
The outlet also said correspondents overheard shots near the Eisenhower Executive Office Building.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 23 May 2026
Residents walked horses through a neighborhood as a Los Angeles County Fire Department helicopter flew overheard.
—Sean Emery, Daily News, 18 May 2026
Randall and Julie are also overheard by Sophia, who is always listening in on these characters without being noticed.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 17 May 2026
So, pay attention to what grabs your attention now, because the cosmos could be delivering a message through the most random interaction, TikTok scroll or overheard conversation.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 15 May 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overheard
Verb
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In the video, neighbors can be heard angrily admonishing officers for killing the dog while the woman, identified as Marie Marseille, holds the animal, crying.—
Ruben Vives,
Los Angeles Times,
16 June 2026
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Hoiby watched the verdict via video link from prison but could not be seen or heard in the courtroom.—
Reuters,
CNN Money,
15 June 2026
Verb
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McCann spied an errant pumpkin.—
Ben McGrath,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 2025
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Astronomers spied the bare black hole using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) — a mega-instrument built by NASA and its partners in part to reveal how galaxies formed during the universe’s first billion years.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Caamano recommends that men using TRT get a baseline CMP, then get monitored every three to six months in the first year of treatment and then yearly.—
Melissa Rudy,
FOXNews.com,
8 Dec. 2025
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What many people don't know, Harlow says, is that vitiligo can affect people of every race and skin tone, that those with vitiligo are also more susceptible to other autoimmune disorders, and that the disease isn't purely cosmetic and should be monitored by a dermatologist.—
Rachel Raposas,
PEOPLE,
4 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Overheard.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overheard. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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