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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Recent Examples of overhearing
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
When repeating the tests with dogs that weren't considered GWLs however, the team did not find any significant correlation between overhearing and learning, a finding of significance according to Dror.
—New Atlas, 9 Jan. 2026
Toddlers can pick up new words just by overhearing conversations.
—Amarachi Orie, CNN Money, 8 Jan. 2026
As when just standing in the Mingus Quick Stop parking lot and squinting down the street at lifting dust while overhearing from within the most mysterious conversation about missing Little Debbie Honey Buns—not stolen, gradually pilfered, but just missing.
—David Searcy, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
While the first half of this conversation points to the former, the next part, in which Shane asks if Ilya’s father is okay after overhearing a tense phone call, suggests the latter.
—Tom Smyth, Vulture, 12 Dec. 2025
There are still moments that break me open—watching friends’ moms swoop in to babysit, or overhearing them swap stories about how their moms saved them in those blurry newborn weeks.
—Lauren Boswell, Vogue, 25 Nov. 2025
Flight tracking website FlightAware showed there were 125 flight cancellations at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, but neither Perez nor Cordova could recall seeing or overhearing any passenger complaints.
—Cathie Anderson, Sacbee.com, 8 Nov. 2025
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
When repeating the tests with dogs that weren't considered GWLs however, the team did not find any significant correlation between overhearing and learning, a finding of significance according to Dror.
—New Atlas, 9 Jan. 2026
Toddlers can pick up new words just by overhearing conversations.
—Amarachi Orie, CNN Money, 8 Jan. 2026
As when just standing in the Mingus Quick Stop parking lot and squinting down the street at lifting dust while overhearing from within the most mysterious conversation about missing Little Debbie Honey Buns—not stolen, gradually pilfered, but just missing.
—David Searcy, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
While the first half of this conversation points to the former, the next part, in which Shane asks if Ilya’s father is okay after overhearing a tense phone call, suggests the latter.
—Tom Smyth, Vulture, 12 Dec. 2025
There are still moments that break me open—watching friends’ moms swoop in to babysit, or overhearing them swap stories about how their moms saved them in those blurry newborn weeks.
—Lauren Boswell, Vogue, 25 Nov. 2025
Flight tracking website FlightAware showed there were 125 flight cancellations at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, but neither Perez nor Cordova could recall seeing or overhearing any passenger complaints.
—Cathie Anderson, Sacbee.com, 8 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overhearing
Verb
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In Oklahoma, Pastor Hau Suan Khai started hearing about cancellations from Christian refugees who, like him, had come to the US fleeing persecution in Myanmar.—
Catherine E. Shoichet,
CNN Money,
12 Feb. 2026
-
The court is in the middle of a four-week break from hearing arguments and issuing opinions.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The spying operation was unusually vast and allowed the hackers to hoover up sensitive information in apparent coordination with geopolitical events, such as diplomatic missions, trade negotiations, political unrest and military actions, according to the report.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
5 Feb. 2026
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The 2007 spying scandal cost the team a first-round pick and $250,000, while Belichick was fined $500,000.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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This long-term approach allowed scientists to account for changes in coffee and tea consumption over time, while monitoring for both clinical dementia diagnoses and subtle shifts in cognitive function.—
Khloe Quill,
FOXNews.com,
10 Feb. 2026
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These traits make biodrones suitable for inspecting pipelines, surveying industrial zones, monitoring power lines, or supporting search and rescue missions in hard-to-reach locations.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Thornton, a vice president of strategic communications who has worked downtown for 17 years, including a decade with AIMCLEAR, was no stranger to snooping on behalf of his colleagues and his employer.—
Frederick Melo,
Twin Cities,
5 Dec. 2025
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But snooping signals a lack of trust.—
Dr. Cortney Warren,
CNBC,
10 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Overhearing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overhearing. Accessed 13 Feb. 2026.
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