eavesdrop
verb (used without object)
to listen secretly to a private conversation.
has been eavesdropping
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present perfect progressiveof eavesdrop (3rd person singular).present perfect progressive
Used to describe an action that began in the past, has continued continuously, and is still in progress.
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 bartender, who has been eavesdropping while pretending to polish glassware, grabs a bottle and pours.
From Salon ● Sep. 20, 2020
If that’s not the voice of a wealthy layabout, it’s the voice of someone who has been eavesdropping on them for years.
From Washington Post ● Mar. 14, 2016
The Speaker got the joke, and as seen in the video above, the monkey has been eavesdropping and photobombing from the comfort and convenience of his home on the Speaker’s coffee table ever since.
From MSNBC ● Aug. 26, 2014
June 2013: We learn that the National Security Agency has been eavesdropping on us.
From Scientific American ● Jan. 11, 2014
Mr. Chairman, one thing is now plain: one of these men has been eavesdropping under the other one's bed, and filching family secrets.
From The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg and Other Stories by Mark Twain
