wire·tap
ˈwī(-ə)r-ˌtap 
wiretapped; wiretapping; wiretaps
: to tap a telephone or telegraph wire or cellular signal in order to get information
: to tap the telephone of
1
: the act or an instance of wiretapping
2
: an electrical connection for wiretapping
Examples of wiretap in a Sentence
Verb
The FBI wiretapped his phone.
Noun
Federal agents put a wiretap on his phone.
Investigators listened to the wiretaps for clues about the suspect's whereabouts.
Recent Examples on the Web
Jake Offenhartz and Karen Matthews, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2024
Section 702 permits the US government to wiretap communications between Americans and foreigners overseas.
—Dell Cameron, WIRED, 12 Apr. 2024
Simone Weichselbaum, NBC News, 1 Nov. 2024
The country has suffered through two years of political crisis over wiretaps revealing outrageous conduct by an increasingly autocratic government.
—Edward P. Joseph, Foreign Affairs, 22 Dec. 2016
See all Example Sentences for wiretap 
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Verb
In that case, federal investigators obtained approval to wiretap his phone amid questions about $300,000 that wound up in bank accounts belonging to him and his wife.
—Jake Offenhartz and Karen Matthews, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2024
Section 702 permits the US government to wiretap communications between Americans and foreigners overseas.
—Dell Cameron, WIRED, 12 Apr. 2024
Noun
McQuade said that would allow agents to recruit confidential informants and look into the actions of pro-Hamas groups without asking judges to sign off on investigative tools like wiretaps and warrants.
—Simone Weichselbaum, NBC News, 1 Nov. 2024
The country has suffered through two years of political crisis over wiretaps revealing outrageous conduct by an increasingly autocratic government.
—Edward P. Joseph, Foreign Affairs, 22 Dec. 2016
See all Example Sentences for wiretap
Dictionary Entries Near wiretap
Cite this Entry
“Wiretap.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wiretap. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
wiretap
1 of 2 verb
wire·tap
ˈwī(ə)r-ˌtap
: to tap a telephone or telegraph wire to get information
wiretapper
noun
wiretap
2 of 2 noun
: the act or an instance of wiretapping
Legal Definition
wiretap
1 of 2 verb
wire·tap
ˈwīr-ˌtap
wiretapped; wiretapping
: to engage in wiretapping
had probable cause to wiretap
wiretap
2 of 2 noun1
: an act or instance of wiretapping
we have held previously that wiretaps are a form of a search—Whack v. State, 615 A.2d 1226 (1992)
Whack v. State, 615 A.2d 1226 (1992)2
: an electrical connection for wiretapping compare pen register
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