wiretap

American  

[wahyuhr-tap] / ˈwaɪərˌtæp /

noun

1. an act or instance of tapping telephone or telegraph wires for evidence or other information.

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verb (used with object)

wiretapped, wiretapping

1. to obtain (information, evidence, etc.) by tapping telephone or telegraph wires.

   to wiretap conversations.

2. to listen in on by means of a wiretap.

   to wiretap a telephone; to wiretap a conversation.

verb (used without object)

wiretapped, wiretapping

1. to tap telephone or telegraph wires for evidence, information, etc.

adjective

1. pertaining to or obtained by wiretap.

wiretap British  

/ ˈwaɪəˌtæp /

verb

1. to make a connection to a telegraph or telephone wire in order to obtain information secretly

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Other Word Forms

• wiretapper noun
• wiretapping noun

Etymology

Origin of wiretap

First recorded in 1950–55; back formation from wiretapper

Example Sentences

Four people have been found guilty and given jail terms by a Greek court after a wiretapping scandal shook the country in 2022.

From BBC

With genetic data unable to distinguish between them, investigators relied on phone records, surveillance footage, wiretaps and efforts to corroborate their whereabouts and movements, according to Le Parisien.

From BBC

The intelligence officers scribbled notes on wiretapped phone calls and typed thousands of pages of reports on opposition activities.

From The Wall Street Journal

Schmidt and the company are accused of violating the California Comprehensive Computer Data Access and Fraud Act, and a section of the state penal code that prohibits wiretapping.

From Los Angeles Times

The notifications are routine in wiretap investigations once surveillance ends, but the letters set off a wave of panic across California’s political power structure.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• consider
• examine
• explore
• inspect
• interrogate
• probe
• question
• review
• scrutinize
• search
• study