eavesdropping (on)

Definition of eavesdropping (on)next
present participle of eavesdrop (on)
as in listening in (on)
to listen to (another in private conversation) a nosy traveler who likes to eavesdrop on his fellow airline passengers

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
See the Dictionary Definition 

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for eavesdropping (on)
Verb
  • The development comes as global health officials continue monitoring the rare hantavirus outbreak tied to the MV Hondius, which has sickened multiple passengers.
    Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 18 May 2026
  • Five years from now, monitoring your brain health passively and continuously will seem as normal as tracking your heart rate.
    Alex Knapp, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
Verb
  • But as examples like those above illustrate, there’s little reason for companies to resort to outright spying like this, because users simply can’t wait to divulge the most intimate details of their minds and bodies voluntarily.
    Nate Anderson, ArsTechnica, 14 May 2026
  • Everything about this, particularly the spying part, seems positivily Hitchcockian.
    Pete Hammond, Deadline, 14 May 2026
Verb
  • What’s clear in hearing Tuch talk is that the decision isn’t going to be solely about money.
    Matthew Fairburn, New York Times, 21 May 2026
  • The 911 caller also reported hearing gunshots, leading to a large police response out of caution.
    Dan Raby, CBS News, 20 May 2026
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.

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Eavesdropping (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/eavesdropping%20%28on%29. Accessed 24 May. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster