Thesaurus results for OVERHEAR

overhear

verb

ˌō-vər-ˈhir

Definition of overhear

as in to hear

to listen to (another in private conversation) it's not polite to try to overhear intimate friends sharing confidences

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of overhear One morning at school, Frida spies bruises on Elia’s back and overhears her and Emmanuel talking about having been disciplined by their parents. — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2026 The founder who overhears the right conversation wasn’t looking for it. — Jennifer Hoffmann, Forbes.com, 6 Oct. 2026 Because then Linnea overheard Carter and Ori strategizing in the shelter. — Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Oct. 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 See All Example Sentences for overhear

Recent Examples of Synonyms for overhear

Verb

From the moment Errol Holden’s raps entered the public sphere in the early 2020s, listening to them has felt like hearing a stranger on the street earnestly tell you how the city has changed.

— Matthew Ritchie, Pitchfork, 15 Oct. 2026
The ban remains in force, with the Supreme Court scheduled to hear a further appeal early next month.

— Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of hear

Verb

For additional privacy guidance, see our CyberGuy article, Are Apple devices spying?

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026
In a Russian state TV video report, three masked men in black uniforms handcuffed a man lying on the ground as a voice off camera said he was suspected of spying.

— CNN Money, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of spy

Browse Nearby Words

overheads

overhear

overheard

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Overhear.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overhear. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of overhear

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

compunction

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

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

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

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

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes