eavesdrop
verb (used without object)
to listen secretly to a private conversation.
was eavesdropping
-
past progressiveof eavesdrop.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
“As an eighth grader, I was eavesdropping when my mom was talking to a friend and I heard something about medical insurance and how expensive it is,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 21, 2026
By the time she was 10, she was eavesdropping on her brother's guitar lessons, before sneaking downstairs to practise the scales herself.
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2022
I can’t quite tell you how the concert was, because for those two hours, I felt like I was eavesdropping on private communiqués.
From New York Times ● Dec. 29, 2021
During late August or early September, an Eastern European intelligence agency was eavesdropping on a conversation among Russians in which one said that Cohen was in Prague.
From Slate ● Dec. 27, 2018
Just as well that we were leaving, since my family was eavesdropping.
From "Keep It Together, Keiko Carter" by Debbi Michiko Florence
