as in eavesdropping (on)
to listen to (another in private conversation)
it's not polite to listen in on other people's private conversations
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for listening in (on)
Verb
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The ambassadors, who are tasked with maintaining a calm travel environment on trains, are expected to start monitoring rides in July.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
7 Apr. 2026 -
But the company is monitoring how many patients increase to higher doses of the drug, particularly the 9-mg and 25-mg versions.—
Annika Kim Constantino,
CNBC,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Sciutto reported hearing booms from missile-defense interceptions.—
Kevin Liptak,
CNN Money,
1 Apr. 2026
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Prolonged volumes above 85 decibels are considered harmful to hearing.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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John offers to marry Claire to protect her when the British Army wants to arrest her for spying.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
26 Mar. 2026
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Mizan also reported that Iran executed a man on charges of spying for Israel's Mossad intelligence agency.—
DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE STAFF FROM WIRE REPORTS,
Arkansas Online,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Haley began making the octopi after overhearing a nurse saying some would be helpful in the NICU.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
26 Feb. 2026
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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
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Cite this Entry
“Listening in (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/listening%20in%20%28on%29. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
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