eavesdrop
verb (used without object)
to listen secretly to a private conversation.
were 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.
The series hoped to be a public service for farmers, with gentle storylines that brought urban listeners into rural surroundings – almost as if they were eavesdropping on farmers and their wives.
From BBC ● Nov. 8, 2024
While this suggests a lot of action, the vast majority of the show, which takes place on a fairly small stage, is dedicated to chatty palace intrigue, as if we were eavesdropping on conspirators.
From New York Times ● Oct. 24, 2022
At first, reading through each statement made me feel uneasy, as if I were eavesdropping on a conversation through a door that was mistakenly left cracked open.
From The New Yorker ● Jun. 4, 2016
John Dickerson: I’m sure they were eavesdropping on Berlusconi.
From Slate ● Nov. 4, 2013
Before he shut the door I could see that Momma and Dad and Joey were standing there in a little knot trying not to let me know they were eavesdropping.
From "The Watsons Go to Birmingham" by Christopher Paul Curtis
