overhear

verb

over·​hear ˌō-vər-ˈhir How to pronounce overhear (audio)
overheard ˌō-vər-ˈhərd How to pronounce overhear (audio) ; overhearing ˌō-vər-ˈhir-iŋ How to pronounce overhear (audio)
Synonyms of overhearnext

transitive verb

: to hear without the speaker's knowledge or intention
overheard their conversation

intransitive verb

: to overhear something
went someplace where she couldn't overhear

Synonyms of overhear

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Examples of overhear in a Sentence

She overheard what her boss said to his secretary. I overheard a rumor about you. They were overheard discussing the project.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Morales recalled overhearing Ramirez on the phone in January confiding in someone about her troubled relationship. — Theodore Parisienne, New York Daily News, 8 Oct. 2026 One morning at school, Frida spies bruises on Elia’s back and overhears her and Emmanuel talking about having been disciplined by their parents. — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2026 The founder who overhears the right conversation wasn’t looking for it. — Jennifer Hoffmann, Forbes.com, 6 Oct. 2026 What about when Carole was hiding in the closet to try to overhear Luann calling her a pedophile, and Jules Wainstein kept trying to ruin her ruse? — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for overhear

Word History

First Known Use

1549, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of overhear was in 1549

Rhymes for overhear

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Browse Nearby Words

overhead valve
overhear
overheat
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Cite this Entry

“Overhear.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overhear. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

overhear

verb
over·​hear ˌō-vər-ˈhi(ə)r How to pronounce overhear (audio)
overheard -ˈhərd How to pronounce overhear (audio) ; overhearing -ˈhi(ə)r-iŋ How to pronounce overhear (audio)
: to hear without the speaker's knowledge or intention
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