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.
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 ● Feb. 20, 2026
Jonathan realizes the truth as he sneaks up to a hilltop restaurant to listen in on a meeting.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 11, 2026
Vanessa Scaglione, head of corporate real estate, said this allows introverted staff to listen in and be part of the team without the pressure to engage.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 23, 2025
"There's almost a stigma about it, and you'll listen in different rooms, which shows you think it's only relevant to one gender, which of course isn't true," she said.
From BBC ● Dec. 3, 2025
Then she explains how it’s not polite to listen in on other people’s conversations.
From "The Skin I'm In" by Sharon G. Flake
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.
