overhears

Definition of overhearsnext
present tense third-person singular of overhear
as in hears
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 overhears June overhears all of this and is mad at Jolyon. Alice Burton, Vulture, 30 Mar. 2026 Rebekah overhears this plan and urges Jacob to disguise himself as Esau. Charles Preston, Encyclopedia Britannica, 13 Mar. 2026 Sophie overhears Anthony confront Benedict in the study, but Benedict puts up a solid argument that his brother, who has just returned from a trip to India with his wife Kate (Simone Ashley) and their son Edmund, hasn’t witnessed his planning and love for Sophie. Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 26 Feb. 2026 Lo overhears a scuffle in the cabin next door and a distinct splash in the freezing ocean waters. Courtney Howard, Variety, 9 Oct. 2025 But a nurse eventually overhears Archer and Hannah discussing it, and misunderstands the situation. Claire Franken, TVLine, 1 Oct. 2025 Alas, Taylor overhears and freaks out because Steven hasn't mentioned it. Sara Netzley, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Sep. 2025 In the movie, Manchester overhears conversations by the Toys R’ Us manager Mitch (Peter Dinklage) and an employee Leigh. Zach Dennis, Charlotte Observer, 10 Sep. 2025 In the book, Jackie admits her feelings to Cole, and Alex overhears the conversation. Julia Moore, People.com, 31 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overhears
Verb
  • My chapter on Family Matters includes the story of when Jaleel White, the actor who played Steve Urkel on the show, sits in a UCLA lecture hall and hears a teaching assistant call him a modern-day Sambo.
    Geoff Bennett, The Atlantic, 13 Apr. 2026
  • After the Supreme Court hears arguments on April 29 in the TPS cases, the justices are expected to issue a ruling in the consolidated cases by the end of June.
    Jack Birle, The Washington Examiner, 9 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • When Claire and Frank retreat to Inverness on holiday following the end of WWII, Frank spies the spectre of a Highlander staring up into Claire's window that abruptly vanishes.
    Amy Wilkinson, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Feb. 2026
  • Alma peers through a keyhole and spies her mother (Susanne Wuest) standing before a candlelit shrine to the family’s dead.
    Justin Chang, New Yorker, 20 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • There are different kinds, but the most common are acoustic leak detection devices, and a leak detection system monitors water flow through a pipeline.
    BestReviews, Mercury News, 15 Apr. 2026
  • In October, a pastor of a prominent underground Christian church was detained, according to his daughter, a church pastor and a group that monitors religion in China.
    ABC News, ABC News, 15 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Overhears.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overhears. Accessed 17 Apr. 2026.

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