EAVESDROPPING Synonyms: 41 Similar and Opposite Words

eavesdropping

noun

Definition of eavesdropping

as in interference

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Dissimilar Words

as in wiretapping

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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 eavesdropping He was charged with five felony counts of eavesdropping, 23 misdemeanor counts of secretly filming another person and three misdemeanor counts of unlawful dissemination of private recordings. — Austin Turner, CBS News, 24 June 2026 The staff of Sermitsiaq had taken to leaving their phones outside editorial meetings, for fear of eavesdropping by the United States. — Ben Taub, New Yorker, 15 June 2026 Greylord was a watershed moment in its use of eavesdropping devices and a mole to obtain evidence instead of relying on wrongdoers to become government informants. — Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 6 June 2026 Among them a City boy wearing three Fit-Bit-type devices, two beautiful Middle Eastern sisters, an outrageously pompous elderly American (sorry; eavesdropping), and several Imelda Marcos lookalikes, tottering out of the treatment rooms with, somehow, their elaborate hairstyles still intact. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for eavesdropping

Recent Examples of Synonyms for eavesdropping

Noun

Vildor allowed two catches, and Minor got flagged for a deep defensive pass interference penalty.

— Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 11 Aug. 2026
CAPTCHAs were developed to deter and detect spam, worms, and bots, and, later, to defend against disinformation campaigns, election interference, and acts of cyberterrorism.

— Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of interference

Noun

Later that year, he was charged with wiretapping, and although authorities did not offer more details, local journalists have reported that the alleged wiretapping was meant to monitor the investigation of his mother.

— James Lasdun, New Yorker, 26 May 2026
Under the plan, FISA, which allows warrantless wiretapping of noncitizens, would be extended for three years, with new oversight guardrails and penalties for abusing the spy tool.

— Hailey Bullis, The Washington Examiner, 26 Apr. 2026

Definition of wiretapping

Noun

Developed for highly mobile operations on the modern battlefield, the FV-014 combines reconnaissance, target identification and precision strike capabilities within a single system.

— Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 14 Aug. 2026
The hackers’ system was built using open-source AI agents to automate and coordinate much of the intrusion, including reconnaissance, credential attacks and strategizing subsequent attack paths, Dream said.

— John Liu, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of reconnaissance

Noun

Ask what is owed, offered, felt, or feared without turning the whole thing into an interrogation.

— Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2026
As surveillance and interrogation deepen, the line between loyalty and obsession blurs, leading both men into a dangerous and uncontrollable connection.

— Matt Grobar, Deadline, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of interrogation

Noun

Detectives are reviewing additional surveillance videos for more leads.

— Matthew Ablon, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026
Equity means ensuring every child has access to what research tells us supports learning, not flooding classrooms with surveillance technology that produces cognitive and emotional debt that will disproportionately harm students of color.

— Kaliris Salas-Ramirez, New York Daily News, 16 Aug. 2026

Definition of surveillance

Noun

Thorndike took issue with the positive description of McLean during Sprague's questioning of Lindsay Clancy's ex-husband Patrick.

— Matt Schooley, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
In the American West, where playing dress-up in reenactments and photo booths and even city streets is already so commonplace, this line of questioning is insidiously limited.

— Téa Obreht, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of questioning

Noun

Meanwhile, celebrities opting for real-life mountain living include Tom Cruise with his staggering 298-acre mountain estate, as well as Oprah Winfrey, who both chose Telluride, Colorado to build in, live in and escape prying paparazzi.

— Catherine Dunwoody, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
Part of the Democratic disagreement comes from just how much attention to pay to media outlets’ prying, versus the power of the message.

— Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 15 July 2026