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
Meanwhile, Fisk and Mukasa listen in from a surveillance truck parked nearby.
—
EW.com, 11 May 2025
Dina’s reaction – at first happily listening in before wiping away tears – really nailed the tone down.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 5 May 2025
The song also enjoyed a 46% bump in official U.S. streams, rising to 2.1 million listens in the week ending April 3, according to Luminate.
—Kevin Rutherford, Billboard, 9 Apr. 2025
This is where a security agency can secretly join a chat without anyone in the chat realizing, listening in when warranted by a court for investigations into terrorism, drugs, child abuse.
—Zak Doffman, Forbes, 24 Mar. 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.
EW.com, 11 May 2025
Dina’s reaction – at first happily listening in before wiping away tears – really nailed the tone down.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 5 May 2025
The song also enjoyed a 46% bump in official U.S. streams, rising to 2.1 million listens in the week ending April 3, according to Luminate.
—Kevin Rutherford, Billboard, 9 Apr. 2025
This is where a security agency can secretly join a chat without anyone in the chat realizing, listening in when warranted by a court for investigations into terrorism, drugs, child abuse.
—Zak Doffman, Forbes, 24 Mar. 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 20 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share