eavesdropped (on)

past tense of eavesdrop (on)
as in listened 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 eavesdropped (on)
Verb
  • The new letter warns that the industry doesn't yet know how to safely build and deploy models whose reasoning process can't be monitored.
    — Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Banyan Elementary was not on the recent list of schools being monitored for possible closure, which was released by the district in August but shortly thereafter put on pause by new Superintendent Rafael Villalobos.
    — Austin Horn, Miami Herald, 8 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • In the background, a crowd can be heard voicing anger and dismay at the shooting.
    — Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Their mother, Janet, heard their laughter and popped into the room—the downstairs den, refitted with a hospital bed—and asked what was so funny.
    — Via Scribner, Literary Hub, 9 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Raves for Montana Levi Blanco’s lush costumes in the courtly, Elizabethan style could be overheard around the table, and rightfully so; their opulence and sick glamour struck the perfect note for the depravity of the piece’s villainous couple.
    — Christopher Barnard, Vogue, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Police said the school went into lockdown after officers saw students running down hallways and received reports that someone overheard a comment about a gun.
    — Steve Maugeri, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The tourists, having sent home seven players and their coaching staff mid-series, made four changes but really only spied solace in the performance of Razaullah Khan, one of three debutants.
    — Paul Newman, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • To the north of the fire, between a forest and a small dirt road, Olstead spied a green field—the jump spot.
    — M. R. O’Connor, New Yorker, 31 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

“Eavesdropped (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/eavesdropped%20%28on%29. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

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