wiretap
verb
wire·tap
| \ ˈwī(-ə)r-ˌtap
\
\
wiretapped;
wiretapping;
wiretaps
Definition of wiretap
(Entry 1 of 2)
: to tap a telephone or telegraph wire or cellular signal in order to get information
: to tap the telephone of
wiretap
nounDefinition of wiretap (Entry 2 of 2)
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: Verb
A month after Trump adviser Carter Page publicly asked then-Director James Comey for an interview to clear his name, the FBI obtained a warrant to wiretap him. — Lee Smith, WSJ, "What if the FBI Had Probed Obama?," 23 Jan. 2019 Specifically, Republican lawmakers have asserted that the FBI misused a secret surveillance court to get approval to wiretap former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page. — Kevin Johnson, USA TODAY, "Justice inspector general opens probe of possible surveillance abuses in Russia election case," 28 Mar. 2018 The document offers a new timeline of wiretap orders in the case based on Dawkins' request for the recordings to be thrown out because an April 7 order to wiretap his phone was missing the name of the official who authorized it. — Chris White, The Courier-Journal, "Were Rick Pitino's calls with an Adidas executive recorded?," 10 Mar. 2018 The investigation began when DEA agents bought heroin from one of the men in September 2017 and a federal judge gave the agency permission to wiretap the defendants, a statement from U.S. Attorney Ben Glassman said. — Sarah Brookbank, Cincinnati.com, "Feds: Butler County heroin ring was sending drug money to Mexico," 1 Feb. 2018 Some believe Trump’s Twitter account has jolted sensibilities so often — from ghastly attacks on cable talking heads Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski to baseless accusations about Trump Tower wiretaps — that outlandish is the new reigning norm. — Kyle Swenson, Washington Post, "Trump’s Hillary Clinton tweet: Does it violate Twitter’s rules on violence?," 18 Sep. 2017 In 2015, Macedonia’s conservative government was accused of using the national security services to wiretap up to 20,000 people for its own political gain. — Sarah Wilson Sokhey, Washington Post, "This is why the West should pay attention to the drama in Macedonia," 29 May 2017 One of the recordings released after a fight with Congress and the courts revealed the president’s involvement in attempts to stymie an investigation into an attempt to wiretap the Democratic National Committee. — Chris Strohm, Bloomberg.com, "White House Refuses to Say Whether Trump Tapes Conversations," 12 May 2017 There are transcripts of a conversation in at least one phone call, recorded by American intelligence agencies that wiretap foreign diplomats, which may determine Mr. Flynn’s future. — David E. Sanger, Eric Schmitt And Peter Baker, New York Times, "Turmoil at the National Security Council, From the Top Down," 12 Feb. 2017Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
Levenson said wiretaps and undercover agents are effective tools that federal officials could use in a case like this one. — Maya Lau, latimes.com, "Deputy gangs have survived decades of lawsuits and probes. Can the FBI stop them?," 14 July 2019 The wiretaps resulted in 53 convictions, though some cases may be ongoing. — Anita Chabria, latimes.com, "Secret wiretapping could get boost in California, sparking privacy concerns," 26 June 2019 A month after Maechtle paid the bribe, the FBI secured a wiretap on his cell phone, according to court records, though another three years would pass before Maechtle was charged. — Tresa Baldas, Detroit Free Press, "15th man cuts deal in Macomb County corruption case after feds bug his phone," 11 Jan. 2018 The case, built with the help of wiretaps, radar images and social media posts, marks the most significant step yet toward tying the tragedy to Moscow, which has backed the pro-Russian separatists fighting to seize control of eastern Ukraine. — Washington Post, "4 charged in downing of Malaysian airliner over Ukraine," 20 June 2019 Instead of immediately confiscating the phones, federal agents obtained warrants authorizing wiretaps, listened, and waited. — Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, "California gang leaders’ prison cell phones reveal secrets that stayed in the dark for years," 3 July 2019 His killing launched police and federal agents on a yearlong investigation — wiretaps, undercover drug buys — that brought down an East Baltimore street gang led by the Bloods. — Tim Prudente, baltimoresun.com, "Mistrial declared on murder charges against Baltimore teen accused of killing Sebastian Dvorak," 20 June 2019 One of his concerns is the F.B.I.’s partial reliance on research financed by Democratic Party interests to obtain court approval to wiretap of a former Trump campaign adviser. — New York Times, "People Are Trying to Figure Out William Barr. He’s Busy Stockpiling Power.," 9 June 2019 Correction posted May 12, 2011 The original version of this paragraph misidentified which information was recorded by the wiretap played during the trial. — The Christian Science Monitor, "Corrections," 4 Mar. 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'wiretap.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for wiretap
wiretap
verb
English Language Learners Definition of wiretap
(Entry 1 of 2)
: to place a device on (someone's phone) in order to secretly listen to telephone calls
wiretap
nounEnglish Language Learners Definition of wiretap (Entry 2 of 2)
: a device that allows someone to secretly listen to phone conversations
: a conversation that has been recorded using a wiretap
See the full definition for wiretap in the English Language Learners Dictionary
wiretap
verb
wire·tap
| \ ˈwīr-ˌtap
\
\
wiretapped;
wiretapping
Legal Definition of wiretap
(Entry 1 of 2)
: to engage in wiretapping
had probable cause to wiretap
wiretap
nounLegal Definition of wiretap (Entry 2 of 2)
1
: 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)
2
: an electrical connection for wiretapping — compare pen register