eavesdrop
verb (used without object)
to listen secretly to a private conversation.
had eavesdropped
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past perfectof eavesdrop.past perfect
Used to express a completed action that took place before another specific past action occurred.
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.
Amid revelations that the NSA had eavesdropped on allied leaders — including German Chancellor Angela Merkel and U.N. diplomats — President Barack Obama in 2013 ordered the agency to stop the practice.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 15, 2023
The probe concluded that NSA had eavesdropped on political leaders and officials in Germany, France, Sweden and Norway.
From Seattle Times ● May 31, 2021
“Yes,” she replied – and she had eavesdropped, not an uncommon practice in an era when hotel phone calls were routed through a switchboard.
From The Guardian ● Sep. 6, 2019
In 2013, leaks from Edward Snowden disclosed that the National Security Agency, which conducts surveillance overseas, had eavesdropped on Merkel’s cellphone as part of its efforts to spy on foreign leaders.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 20, 2017
Her eyes crinkled in amusement, so he knew she did not mind that he had eavesdropped.
From "A Single Shard" by Linda Sue Park
