eavesdrop
verb (used without object)
to listen secretly to a private conversation.
had eavesdropped
-
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
Owner Rupert Murdoch shut down the 168-year-old News of the World in 2011 after the revelation that its employees had eavesdropped on celebrities, politicians and crime victims.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 26, 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
