overhearing

verb

present participle of overhear
as in hearing
to listen to (another in private conversation) it's not polite to try to overhear intimate friends sharing confidences

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 overhearing Morales recalled overhearing Ramirez on the phone in January confiding in someone about her troubled relationship. — Theodore Parisienne, New York Daily News, 8 Oct. 2026 Digging a bit deeper, the study determined that while 57% of respondents would be creeped out by someone shoulder-surfing their screens, only 43% had a similar worry about people overhearing phone conversations. — Neil J. Rubenking, PC Magazine, 10 Sep. 2026 We weren’t allowed to leave the room to prevent anyone from overhearing our conversations and perhaps posting [the questions] on the Internet. — Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 11 Aug. 2026 But despite getting back together in season two, the finale ended on a cliffhanger of Alex overhearing Jackie confess her love to his brother Cole. — Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 8 Aug. 2026 The last season ended with Alex overhearing Cole’s dramatic love confession to Jackie and a cliffhanger about patriarch George’s health. — Madeleine Janz, PEOPLE, 1 Aug. 2026 Muraki admitted overhearing her comments about the home but denied handing a note during their first meeting. — Sacbee.com, 7 July 2026 The episode ends with Teddy getting a voicemail from Owen and overhearing a bridge collapse and car crash that may be fatal. — Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 1 May 2026 The only real threat is a whistleblower, like an outcast kid overhearing the whole criminal scheme from the floor below his mother’s office. — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 12 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overhearing
  1. hearing
  2. spying
  3. monitoring
  4. snooping
Verb
  • The actor is partnering with Audien Hearing on a campaign about hearing health after experiencing tinnitus and hearing loss himself.
    — Ashley Hume , Larry Fink, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Usher syndrome is a rare genetic disorder that causes vision loss, hearing loss and balance issues, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
    — Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of hearing
Verb
  • It is understood Kering plans to build on the foundation left by Vaccarello, also spying additional opportunities in jewelry.
    — Miles Socha, Footwear News, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Invariably, the goal of this kind of espionage is to help key sectors in the spying country rapidly replicate or surpass American advances.
    — DAVID S. COHEN, Foreign Affairs, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of spying
Verb
  • The researchers say future deployments of the current prototype would be able to remain at sea for weeks at a time, monitoring environmental conditions.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 17 Oct. 2026
  • With public safety power shutoffs underway across much of the region, fire crews are closely monitoring the situation, warning that even small grass fires can quickly spread under dangerous fire conditions.
    — Kayla Moeller, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of monitoring
Verb
  • An alcoholic drink will give you a buzz, but if someone laced it with something dangerous, a new poison-snooping patch will buzz your skin to warn you.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Cady had injected some narcotic into a Georgia peach to knock Natalie out ahead of his confrontation with Crystal on the houseboat, but Ray snooping around on the Bowdens’s behalf led to this deadly improvisation.
    — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 10 July 2026
Definition of snooping

Browse Nearby Words

overheard
overhearing
overhears
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Cite this Entry

“Overhearing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overhearing. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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