eavesdrop
verb (used without object)
to listen secretly to a private conversation.
are eavesdropping
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present progressiveof eavesdrop.present progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or state that is currently taking place in the immediate present.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The fourth wall, encoded in the architecture of the proscenium stage, fosters the illusion that audiences are eavesdropping on a cordoned off reality.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 8, 2025
Viewers, Harris hopes, will feel “like they are eavesdropping on a conversation between experts.”
From Washington Post ● Apr. 30, 2020
At its best, it feels as if we are eavesdropping; despite their battles, the glue that keeps them together is the fact that they still fancy each other.
From The Guardian ● Feb. 25, 2017
"But we also want to keep the conversational feel of the podcast, and the sense that you are eavesdropping."
From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2014
I look over my shoulder, curious if Dad or Aunt Melissa are eavesdropping.
From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller
