wiretap

verb

Definition of wiretapnext
as in to tap

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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 wiretap That’s why law enforcement can’t just wiretap us all at will. — The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 10 Oct. 2025 As attorney general, Robert Kennedy approved Hoover's request in 1963 to wiretap King amid concerns that King was associating with communists. — Marc Caputo, Axios, 15 Feb. 2025 Bitdefender also manages programs that wiretap you through the microphone. — PCMAG, 13 Jan. 2025 The courts ultimately denied the order, but only because enabling the FBI to wiretap the car in that case would have meant turning off other safety features. — Margo Anderson, IEEE Spectrum, 8 Feb. 2016 See All Example Sentences for wiretap
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wiretap
  1. tap
  2. bug
  3. spy
  4. overhear
Verb
  • Though most of Simplifyber’s customer work since launching in 2020 remains confidential, the company has already been tapped by cool-girl brand Ganni for footwear and Kia for automotive materials.
    — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 10 July 2026
  • Open the Instagram app, tap your profile, and then tap the three lines in the top-right corner of the screen.
    — Zack Sharf, Variety, 10 July 2026
Definition of tap
Verb
  • The group alleged that as well as hacking their phones, journalists from the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday tapped landlines and bugged houses and cars.
    — K.J. Yossman, Variety, 7 July 2026
  • What really bugs me about this moment, and about the battle and its aftermath, is the lack of feeling.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026
Definition of bug
Verb
  • Houssem Aouar finally spied a gap in the Austrian defence and sent Mahrez through to score, sparking jubilation before Sasa Kalajdzic’s header confirmed a ridiculous ending to a game that was dramatic, bleak and then dramatic again.
    — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 5 July 2026
  • At least 60 Israelis have been indicted on charges of spying for Iran, but this appears to be the first time an American has been detained in Israel on similar suspicions.
    — Oren Liebermann, CNN Money, 3 July 2026
Definition of spy
Verb
  • 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
  • Muraki admitted overhearing her comments about the home but denied handing a note during their first meeting.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 7 July 2026
Definition of overhear

Browse Nearby Words

wires
wiretap
wiretapped
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Wiretap.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wiretap. Accessed 15 Jul. 2026.

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