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
Among the options the senators could be overheard discussing were a very short stopgap bill while an extension of expiring Obamacare subsidies is negotiated.
—
Jamie Tarabay, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2025
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
Didi, divorced, learns her daughter won’t be with her that evening — a phone call overheard by Cliff.
—Jake Coyle, Boston Herald, 11 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
Jamie Tarabay, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2025
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
Didi, divorced, learns her daughter won’t be with her that evening — a phone call overheard by Cliff.
—Jake Coyle, Boston Herald, 11 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overheard
Verb
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Summer, filming her sister at the table, can be heard in the background prompting her to keep going.—
Daniella Gray,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
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Mthethwa also faced an ongoing probe that heard allegations by a provincial police commissioner who accused him of attempting to obstruct the prosecution of a former head of South Africa’s Crime Intelligence Services who was being investigated for corruption.—
Nimi Princewill,
CNN Money,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The relative then spied a dead dog on an interstate nearby, and assumed the canine was Randy since both dogs had the same shading.—
TJ Macias,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
3 Oct. 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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Researchers treated 12-month-old mice (similar to a 60-year-old human) with the nanoparticles and monitored the animals’ behavior and memory over several months.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Oct. 2025
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That level of independence is rare in an industry where many are used to being tightly managed and closely monitored.—
Matt Emma,
USA Today,
6 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Overheard.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overheard. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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