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

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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 The actors speak quietly, as if fearful of being overheard, whether or not there is anyone around to hear, and often regard one another with pained or stunned expressions. Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026 Amabile’s wife, Serena Pitt, can be overheard asking him as another staple is clipped out and placed into a plastic container. Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Aug. 2026 While checking into his hotel in Paris three years ago, Lucas overheard a pair of rugby fans from South Africa talking about their monthlong stay in France for the tournament. Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 14 Aug. 2026 Jackson said California's law about confidential communication doesn't apply when there is a reasonable expectation that a conversation could be overheard or recorded. Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 1 Aug. 2026 One of the first people to join his congregation was Gayana Albayan, who had learned about God through inference and overheard prayer. Literary Hub, 30 July 2026 Burial is far and away the blueprint here, evident in the vespertine pads, tape hiss, and hauntological vocal flips, deployed as if overheard from a distant astral plane. Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 23 July 2026 Elsewhere during the event, Harry was overheard providing a few family updates to guests. Juliana Ukiomogbe, InStyle, 17 July 2026 Degorski had told an ex-girlfriend of his role in the killings, and a friend who overheard her talking about it in 2002 went to the police. Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 11 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overheard
Verb
  • Another teacher heard Williams calling for help, and rushed in to help.
    Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Over 21 days of testimony, jurors heard how Clancy’s mental health had collapsed after Callan’s birth.
    Michael Casey, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • 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
  • Satellite imagery has already spied an area of rising seas expanding north from South and Central America to California’s Baja Peninsula, with a northward expansion expected from there.
    Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • But the drivers’ vital signs are not monitored on track, and some of the available cooling equipment receives mixed reviews from drivers and experts.
    Patrick Iversen, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Patients’ ketone levels are closely monitored with breath and blood tests, and their psychiatric medications are adjusted as needed.
    Kelly Rogers Victor, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Overheard.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overheard. Accessed 10 Sep. 2026.

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