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to listen in
[phrase form: listen]
01
to secretly listen to a conversation without the knowledge or consent of the participants
Intransitive
Transitive: to listen in on a conversation
Grammatical Information
Composition
phrasal
Action verb
Regular
Inseparable
Particle
in
Base verb
listen
Present tense
listen in
3rd person singular
listens in
Present participle
listening in
Past simple
listened in
Past participle
listened in
Examples
The gossip columnist listened in on the phone conversation, hoping to scoop the latest news.
02
to listen to a conversation or communication without participating
Intransitive
Transitive: to listen in on a conversation
Examples
The teacher listened in on the students' conversation, making sure they were staying on topic.
03
to listen to a radio program
Transitive: to listen in to a radio program
Intransitive
Examples
The radio station is having a special promotion, so listen in to win a prize!
