listen in
Britishverb
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to listen to the radio
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to intercept radio communications
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to listen but not contribute (to a discussion), esp surreptitiously
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Hear or overhear the conversation of others; eavesdrop. It is also put as listen in on , as in She listened in on her parents and learned they were planning a surprise party . [Early 1900s]
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Tune in and listen to a broadcast, as in Were you listening in the other night when they played Beethoven's Fifth? [1920s]
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.
I was stretched out with an ear applied to the floor, trying to listen in on the school board meeting below.
From Literature
“Why didn’t you tell Mae about the compromised lines? The spies you think may be listening in?”
From Literature
The six of us listen in silence as she explains the audacious plan.
From Literature
Inspired by Grandmaster Flash, he began freestyling in his early teens, first to himself in the bathroom, then to anyone who would listen in the cafeteria.
From Los Angeles Times
Hougan brought up the example of a TikTok content creator who flew to Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., before the Super Bowl in order to listen in on rehearsals for the national anthem.
From MarketWatch
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
