listen in
verb
listened in; listening in; listens in
1
: to tune in to or monitor a broadcast
2
: to listen to a conversation without participating in it
especially
: eavesdrop
Examples of listen in in a Sentence
it's not polite to listen in on other people's private conversations
Recent Examples on the Web
Marianne listens in shock to her daughter's story about her surgical intern friend.
—
Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 July 2025
The Chinese government could listen in to phone calls and read text messages.
—Thomas Wright, The Atlantic, 19 June 2025
But after detectives left him and Bey IV alone in an interrogation room – without recording or listening in on the conversation – Broussard confessed.
—Thomas Peele, Mercury News, 9 June 2025
Bregman took it upon himself to force the team to prepare better, putting them on the spot with his impromptu pitcher tests and encouraging players to do their homework on starters the night before rather than just passively listening in hitting coach Pete Fatse’s hitters meetings.
—Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for listen in
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.
Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 July 2025
The Chinese government could listen in to phone calls and read text messages.
—Thomas Wright, The Atlantic, 19 June 2025
But after detectives left him and Bey IV alone in an interrogation room – without recording or listening in on the conversation – Broussard confessed.
—Thomas Peele, Mercury News, 9 June 2025
Bregman took it upon himself to force the team to prepare better, putting them on the spot with his impromptu pitcher tests and encouraging players to do their homework on starters the night before rather than just passively listening in hitting coach Pete Fatse’s hitters meetings.
—Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for listen in
Cite this Entry
“Listen in.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/listen%20in. Accessed 26 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share