wire·tap
ˈwī(-ə)r-ˌtap 
wiretapped; wiretapping; wiretaps
: to tap a telephone or telegraph wire or cellular signal in order to get information
: to tap the telephone of
1
: the act or an instance of wiretapping
2
: an electrical connection for wiretapping
Examples of wiretap in a Sentence
Verb
The FBI wiretapped his phone.
Noun
Federal agents put a wiretap on his phone.
Investigators listened to the wiretaps for clues about the suspect's whereabouts.
Recent Examples on the Web
PCMAG, 13 Jan. 2025
In that case, federal investigators obtained approval to wiretap his phone amid questions about $300,000 that wound up in bank accounts belonging to him and his wife.
—Jake Offenhartz and Karen Matthews, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2024
Dell Cameron, WIRED, 18 Dec. 2024
While the scrutiny of Mr. Page was a minor part of the investigation — and the wiretap application was the only part that relied upon the dossier — Mr. Trump and his defenders sought to conflate the dossier and its flaws with the main investigation in the public mind.
—Charlie Savage, New York Times, 15 Dec. 2024
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Verb
Bitdefender also manages programs that wiretap you through the microphone.
—PCMAG, 13 Jan. 2025
In that case, federal investigators obtained approval to wiretap his phone amid questions about $300,000 that wound up in bank accounts belonging to him and his wife.
—Jake Offenhartz and Karen Matthews, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2024
Noun
Notably, wiretap orders executed under Section 702 are never reviewed by a federal judge.
—Dell Cameron, WIRED, 18 Dec. 2024
While the scrutiny of Mr. Page was a minor part of the investigation — and the wiretap application was the only part that relied upon the dossier — Mr. Trump and his defenders sought to conflate the dossier and its flaws with the main investigation in the public mind.
—Charlie Savage, New York Times, 15 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for wiretap
Dictionary Entries Near wiretap
Cite this Entry
“Wiretap.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wiretap. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
wiretap
1 of 2 verb
wire·tap
ˈwī(ə)r-ˌtap
: to tap a telephone or telegraph wire to get information
wiretapper
noun
wiretap
2 of 2 noun
: the act or an instance of wiretapping
Legal Definition
wiretap
1 of 2 verb
wire·tap
ˈwīr-ˌtap
wiretapped; wiretapping
: to engage in wiretapping
had probable cause to wiretap
wiretap
2 of 2 noun1
: an act or instance of wiretapping
we have held previously that wiretaps are a form of a search—Whack v. State, 615 A.2d 1226 (1992)
Whack v. State, 615 A.2d 1226 (1992)2
: an electrical connection for wiretapping compare pen register
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