wiretap

verb

Definition of wiretapnext
as in to tap

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of wiretap That’s why law enforcement can’t just wiretap us all at will. — The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 10 Oct. 2025 As attorney general, Robert Kennedy approved Hoover's request in 1963 to wiretap King amid concerns that King was associating with communists. — Marc Caputo, Axios, 15 Feb. 2025 Bitdefender also manages programs that wiretap you through the microphone. — PCMAG, 13 Jan. 2025 The courts ultimately denied the order, but only because enabling the FBI to wiretap the car in that case would have meant turning off other safety features. — Margo Anderson, IEEE Spectrum, 8 Feb. 2016 See All Example Sentences for wiretap
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wiretap
  1. tap
  2. bug
  3. spy
  4. overhear
Verb
  • De La Faverie brought in a new team under the creative direction of Nicola Formichetti and the brand has quickly moved to reestablish relevance, tapping everyone from Chappell Roan to Kris Jenner as spokespeople.
    — Jenny B. Fine, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Beyond speed and convenience, tap to pay and similar contactless payment options generally offer enhanced security features aimed at reducing fraud and protecting customers’ information, according to the North Carolina Bankers Association.
    — Tanasia Kenney, Charlotte Observer, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of tap
Verb
  • And as the team moved into the couple’s guest house on their San Diego rental property, the filmmakers feared that the home was bugged and ordered a device to try to de-bug it, without success.
    — Kirsten Chuba, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2026
  • As a Bears fan, McDermott doesn’t want to disrupt the team and bug McCaskey or Warren too much.
    — Ryan Canfield OutKick, FOXNews.com, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of bug
Verb
  • Invariably, the goal of this kind of espionage is to help key sectors in the spying country rapidly replicate or surpass American advances.
    — DAVID S. COHEN, Foreign Affairs, 8 Oct. 2026
  • At a press conference yesterday NASA presented its preliminary findings, which touch on everything from the moon’s surprisingly colorful craters to a series of curious flashes that the astronauts spied in lunar shadows.
    — Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of spy
Verb
  • 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
  • The founder who overhears the right conversation wasn’t looking for it.
    — Jennifer Hoffmann, Forbes.com, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of overhear

Browse Nearby Words

wires
wiretap
wiretapped
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Wiretap.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wiretap. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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