eavesdrop (on)

verb

ˈēvz-ˌdräp How to pronounce eavesdrop (on) (audio)
Definition of eavesdrop (on)next
as in to listen in (on)
to listen to (another in private conversation) a nosy traveler who likes to eavesdrop on his fellow airline passengers

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for eavesdrop (on)
  1. monitor
  2. hear
  3. spy
  4. overhear
Verb
  • When gun season opens, monitor where people park their trucks and enter the woods.
    Michael Hanback, Outdoor Life, 7 Nov. 2024
  • Acronis Cyber Protect also employs machine learning to monitor performance and reliability.
    PCMAG, PCMAG, 6 Nov. 2024
Definition of monitor
Verb
  • Catherine’s husband has also been unable to hear her, deaf to anything but the gonging of his own jealous rage.
    Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 8 Nov. 2024
  • The neighbor also later heard yelling coming from nearby woods.
    Antonio Planas, NBC News, 8 Nov. 2024
Definition of hear
Verb
  • In 2019, the US Interior Department grounded its fleet of DJI drones over spying risks.
    Sean Hollister, The Verge, 19 Oct. 2024
  • The Dutch exotic dancer was convicted of spying for Germany, although her guilt is debated by historians.
    Lorenzino Estrada, The Arizona Republic, 15 Oct. 2024
Definition of spy
Verb
  • My wife, overhearing this, couldn't help but laugh at my politeness toward a machine.
    Bernard Marr, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
  • Both complaints cited overhearing employees at the Kwik Trip at 2530 N. Grandview Blvd.
    Maia Pandey, Journal Sentinel, 28 Oct. 2024
Definition of overhear
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.

Thesaurus Entries Near eavesdrop (on)

eat (up)

eavesdrop (on)

eavesdropped (on)

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Eavesdrop (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/eavesdrop%20%28on%29. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

8 Words with Fascinating Histories

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

Birds Say the Darndest Things

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

10 Scrabble Words Without Any Vowels
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
silhouette of a man with a megaphone against a british flag
Another Great British Vocabulary Quiz, Innit? A double-decker quiz with words from across the pond