wiretap

1 of 2

verb

wire·​tap ˈwī(-ə)r-ˌtap 

wiretapped; wiretapping; wiretaps

intransitive verb

: to tap a telephone or telegraph wire or cellular signal in order to get information

transitive verb

: to tap the telephone of

wiretap

2 of 2

noun

1

: the act or an instance of wiretapping

2

: an electrical connection for wiretapping

Examples of wiretap in a Sentence

Verb

The FBI wiretapped his phone.

Noun

Federal agents put a wiretap on his phone.

Investigators listened to the wiretaps for clues about the suspect's whereabouts.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The agency has extraordinary power to wiretap Americans and engage in cyber espionage, and its leader has great influence over whether that power is abused. Is this legal? —Patrick Reis, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018

As attorney general, Robert Kennedy approved Hoover's request in 1963 to wiretap King amid concerns that King was associating with communists. —Marc Caputo, Axios, 15 Feb. 2025

Noun

At the time of his murder, the DEA and Camarena had been utilizing a series of wiretaps to make sizeable drug busts inside Mexico. —Greg Norman, FOXNews.com, 10 Apr. 2025

After that, Espinoza allegedly began relying heavily on others in the network to distribute drugs on his behalf, but prosecutors said wiretaps allowed agents to listen in on Espinoza setting up and directing drug sales. —Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Verb

1918, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun

1907, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for wiretap

• handicap
• overlap
• thunderclap
• app
• cap
• chap
• clap
• crap
• flap
• frap
• gap
• hap

Kids Definition

wiretap

1 of 2 verb

wire·​tap ˈwī(ə)r-ˌtap 

: to tap a telephone or telegraph wire to get information

wiretapper noun

wiretap

2 of 2 noun

: the act or an instance of wiretapping

Legal Definition

wiretap

1 of 2 verb

wire·​tap ˈwīr-ˌtap 

wiretapped; wiretapping

intransitive verb

: to engage in wiretapping

had probable cause to wiretap

transitive verb

: to interpret through wiretapping

a wiretapped telephone conversation

also : to connect to the telephone line of for the purpose of wiretapping

wiretapped her home

compare bug, eavesdrop

wiretap

2 of 2 noun

1

: an act or instance of wiretapping

we have held previously that wiretaps are a form of a search

—Whack v. State, 615 A.2d 1226 (1992)

2

: an electrical connection for wiretapping compare pen register