listen for

idiom

: to pay attention to sounds in order to hear (something expected)

We listened for (the sound of) his footsteps.

We saw lightning and listened for the thunder.

Examples of listen for in a Sentence

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Similarly, listening as a member of a large audience or having to listen for a long time was also tiring. —

Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 5 Nov. 2024 Ask about the biggest challenges the role may involve and listen for any supportive actions or guidance that are provided. —

Heather V. MacArthur, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024 Incidents of machine gun fire increased from 400 in 2019 to 5,600 in 2021, according to a 2022 CNN analysis using data from ShotSpotter, a company that places audio sensors in US cities to listen for gunfire. —

Eric Levenson, CNN, 24 Sep. 2024 Jennie MacFarland and Richard Fray stalked up Lone Mountain Canyon in the Huachuca Mountains, near the U.S.-Mexico border in the early morning light, occasionally pausing to play a recorded trogon call and listen for the response. —

Brandon Loomis, The Arizona Republic, 22 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for listen for