LISTENS IN (ON) Synonyms: 14 Similar Words

listens in (on)

verb

present tense third-person singular of listen in (on)

as in eavesdrops (on)

to listen to (another in private conversation) it's not polite to listen in on other people's private conversations

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for listens in (on)

Verb

Mohammad Farooq Azam from the environmental advocacy group International Center for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), which monitors Asia's high mountains, told NPR the Himalaya region is warming faster than the global average.

— Diaa Hadid, NPR, 27 Aug. 2026
Florida already collects substantial IDEA data, monitors districts and publishes dispute-resolution resources.

— Deborah Esther Brooks, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of monitors

Verb

Late one night, Clark spies what appears to be a sliver of light coming through a crack in the wall of the store’s basement.

— David Fear, Rolling Stone, 14 June 2026
In Giovanni Battista Tiepolo’s The Finding of Moses, a dog spies a young girl whose presence unlocks the painting’s meaning.

— Boris Kachka, The Atlantic, 5 June 2026

Definition of spies

Verb

Nathan overhears a snippet of this exchange, which convinces him that Joe is engaged in an all-out smear campaign against him.

— Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 1 Sep. 2026
At one point, Piker overhears his brother telling me about his old job as an aerospace engineer at Boeing.

— Josh Eells, Rolling Stone, 9 Aug. 2026

Definition of overhears

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.

Browse Nearby Words

listens

listens in (on)

listens (to)

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Listens in (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/listens%20in%20%28on%29. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of listens in (on)

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

dissonant

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

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

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Games & Quizzes