wiretap

[ wahyuhr-tap ]

/ ˈwaɪərˌtæp /

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See synonyms for: wiretap / wiretapped / wiretapping on Thesaurus.com

noun

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

verb (used with object), wire·tapped, wire·tap·ping.

to obtain (information, evidence, etc.) by tapping telephone or telegraph wires: to wiretap conversations.

to listen in on by means of a wiretap: to wiretap a telephone; to wiretap a conversation.

verb (used without object), wire·tapped, wire·tap·ping.

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

adjective

pertaining to or obtained by wiretap.

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Origin of wiretap

First recorded in 1950–55; back formation from wiretapper

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use wiretap in a sentence

FBI wiretaps caught him discussing the backlash on a telephone call.
The FBI's Surveillance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Was Relentless. But Its Findings Paint a Fuller Picture for Historians|Benjamin Hedin|January 18, 2021|Time
Civil liberties protections for Americans make it harder for investigators to persuade judges to authorize wiretaps and other forms of surveillance.
Domestic Terrorism: A More Urgent Threat, but Weaker Laws|by Sebastian Rotella|January 8, 2021|ProPublica
Cruz was not a target of the wiretap, but had texted a person who was.
Victor Ray Cruz Wanted to Turn His Life Around — Then He Got the Coronavirus|Maya Srikrishnan and Adriana Heldiz|October 22, 2020|Voice of San Diego
NSA Director Michael Hayden allegedly defended warrantless wiretapping saying, the government “had the power.”
Speed Read: James Risen Indicts The War On Terror’s Costly Follies|William O’Connor|October 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST

All (presumably) without the wiretapping of political opponents.
‘Breaking Bad’ in the White House: Bryan Cranston as LBJ in 'All the Way'|David Freedlander|March 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
His chances of being admitted to the bar with a felony wiretapping conviction on his record are basically nonexistent.
The McConnell Wiretapper Speaks|Megan McArdle|May 31, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Maybe this isn't fatal; I'm certainly no expert on wiretapping.
The McConnell Wiretapper Speaks|Megan McArdle|May 31, 2013|DAILY BEAST
“They needed and wanted his cooperation in their [federal RICO and wiretapping] investigation,” he wrote.
Judge Denies Bail Request by Anthony Pellicano, Former Sleuth to the Stars|Christine Pelisek|August 14, 2012|DAILY BEAST

British Dictionary definitions for wiretap

wiretap

/ (ˈwaɪəˌtæp) /

verb -taps, -tapping or -tapped

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

Derived forms of wiretap

wiretapper, nounwiretapping, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

wiretap

Origin of wiretap

Words related to wiretap

How to use wiretap in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for wiretap

Derived forms of wiretap