eavesdrop
verb (used without object)
to listen secretly to a private conversation.
are eavesdropping
-
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
“Thank God no one will ever hear this conversation,” the Academic says, distilling the impression that we are eavesdropping on uninhibited intimacies not intended for the stage.
From The Guardian ● Aug. 8, 2018
"But we also want to keep the conversational feel of the podcast, and the sense that you are eavesdropping."
From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2014
Jonesy glances over at the two gamers, who I’m sure are eavesdropping on us by now.
From "Popcorn" by Rob Harrell
