as in hearing
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 overhearing
The episode ends with Teddy getting a voicemail from Owen and overhearing a bridge collapse and car crash that may be fatal.
—
Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 1 May 2026
Another resident reported frequently overhearing arguing coming from the apartment.
—Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 1 May 2026
For creator Lee Sung Jin, the inspiration came from overhearing a heated dispute inside a couple’s home.
—Ryan Brennan, Sacbee.com, 16 Apr. 2026
The only real threat is a whistleblower, like an outcast kid overhearing the whole criminal scheme from the floor below his mother’s office.
—Scott Tobias, Vulture, 12 Apr. 2026
Haley began making the octopi after overhearing a nurse saying some would be helpful in the NICU.
—ABC News, 26 Feb. 2026
The internal monologue is perhaps the more obvious choice for paranoid fiction, but by writing in dialogue, Dorfman puts us in the place of the listener with an ear pressed to a closed door, overhearing the anxious voices.
—James Folta, Literary Hub, 5 Feb. 2026
Dogs also learned new object names by overhearing them.
—Liz Regalia, Parents, 25 Jan. 2026
Hyman remembers overhearing a conversation between Stecher and then-Oilers assistant coach Paul Coffey as the trade deadline approached.
—Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2026
Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 1 May 2026
Another resident reported frequently overhearing arguing coming from the apartment.
—Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 1 May 2026
For creator Lee Sung Jin, the inspiration came from overhearing a heated dispute inside a couple’s home.
—Ryan Brennan, Sacbee.com, 16 Apr. 2026
The only real threat is a whistleblower, like an outcast kid overhearing the whole criminal scheme from the floor below his mother’s office.
—Scott Tobias, Vulture, 12 Apr. 2026
Haley began making the octopi after overhearing a nurse saying some would be helpful in the NICU.
—ABC News, 26 Feb. 2026
The internal monologue is perhaps the more obvious choice for paranoid fiction, but by writing in dialogue, Dorfman puts us in the place of the listener with an ear pressed to a closed door, overhearing the anxious voices.
—James Folta, Literary Hub, 5 Feb. 2026
Dogs also learned new object names by overhearing them.
—Liz Regalia, Parents, 25 Jan. 2026
Hyman remembers overhearing a conversation between Stecher and then-Oilers assistant coach Paul Coffey as the trade deadline approached.
—Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overhearing
Verb
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Jurors in a Fort Worth courtroom decided on Tanner Horner’s punishment after hearing about a month of testimony and evidence that included audio of Athena Strand’s last moments from inside the delivery van.—
Jamie Stengle,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
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Those materials included attorney reports, hearing transcripts and prior court orders.—
Greg Wehner , Michael Ruiz,
FOXNews.com,
6 May 2026
Verb
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Republican infighting was on full display as Johnson struggled to cobble together the votes needed to advance a farm bill, extend a critical government spying program, and end the record-long Department of Homeland Security shutdown.—
Zachary Schermele,
USA Today,
9 May 2026
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Twenty-five Israelis and foreign residents in Israel were indicted on charges of spying for Iran in 2025, according to Shin Bet's annual report, published in February.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
8 May 2026
Verb
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The typical lifespan of a tire pressure monitoring sensor (TPMS) battery is about 7–10 years.—
Hartford Courant,
Hartford Courant,
12 May 2026
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Carr also said the smart pass program offers other uses, such as monitoring afterschool activities and student identification cards, but the district does not yet to use those features.—
Addison Wright,
Chicago Tribune,
11 May 2026
Verb
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Besides the risk of Oracle snooping into your business, there’s also the possibility of regulatory capture — that is, because Ellison is so tight with the Trumps, what remains of the government watchdogs won’t stop it.—
Elizabeth Lopatto,
The Verge,
29 Apr. 2026
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This leads to a lively scene where Carl and his glowering right-hand man make an impromptu visit to Hypergnosis headquarters and demand a demonstration of Duncan’s snooping network.—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overhearing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overhearing. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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