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

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for eavesdropping (on)
Verb
  • Repeating that process could happen, but the front office and Taylor will be monitoring the situation closely.
    Paul Dehner Jr, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Jackie, who had been monitoring the situation, later brought Sandy a fish as a reward.
    Alex Ross, New Yorker, 24 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Why does English football view spying as a heinous crime while other countries openly admit to using drones to study upcoming opponents?
    Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Just across the sea lie North Korea, China and Russia, which all have powerful spying capacities that Japan isn’t fully equipped to fend off.
    Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 31 July 2026
Verb
  • People hearing those stories—attorneys, reporters, healthcare workers or friends—may expect a clearer, linear narrative.
    Michele Patterson Ford, Scientific American, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Up until that point, all of my recordings were just me and my guitar, so hearing the drums and the extra vocals blew my mind.
    Caleb Hellerman, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 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.

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Cite this Entry

“Eavesdropping (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/eavesdropping%20%28on%29. Accessed 26 Aug. 2026.

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