How to Use listen in a Sentence

listen

1 of 2 verb
Definition of listennext
Synonyms for listennext
  • She tried to warn him of the dangers, but he wouldn't listen.
  • She listened with interest as he told her about his travels.
  • I listened as hard as I could, but I couldn't hear a word of what he said over all that noise.
  • Then, align your listening schedule with the needs of your week.
    — Gen Cleary, Rolling Stone, 22 Nov. 2023
  • Here are our favorite reads from Quartz from the past week, one bonus listen, and one sneak peek.
    — Susan Howson, Quartz, 7 Apr. 2024
  • The crew let Tung drive around listening to the song over and over while filming the scene in the early hours of the morning.
    — Malia Mendez, Los Angeles Times, 19 Aug. 2023
  • This is where people go to escape the fray, disconnect, and listen to the waves with their toes in the sand.
    — Meagan Drillinger, Travel + Leisure, 3 Mar. 2024
  • Or at least some snippets for those of us who read the article to listen to.
    — Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 17 Dec. 2023
  • Have a great weekend and thanks for listening to 5 Things.
    — Dana Taylor, USA TODAY, 29 July 2023
  • And, although people like to talk about their travels, few of us like to listen to them.
    — Agnes Callard, The New Yorker, 24 June 2023
  • Paciorek allegedly didn't listen to deputies when he was asked to get off the bike.
    — Adam Sabes, Fox News, 8 Aug. 2023
  • Victims' families have a voice and should be heard and listened to!
    — CBS News, 15 Dec. 2023
  • Thankfully my mom didn't listen, got a loan, and enrolled me in kindergarten the next month.
    — Teshie Ogallo, Parents, 15 Jan. 2024
  • His expertise shows in the classroom, and the kids are attentive and willing to listen to him.
    — Austindedios, oregonlive, 18 Aug. 2023
  • The younger generation wants a sharp break with the past, and the president is listening.
    — Robert B. Zoellick, WSJ, 7 June 2023
  • Is listening to the recording itself part of getting ready for this, too?
    — Rebecca Milzoff, Billboard, 22 June 2023
  • Seeing the shape of my pumping organ and listening to my heartbeat brought me to tears.
    — Pepita Sándwich, Washington Post, 28 May 2023
  • So, if only her friends and family listen, that’s fine with us.
    — Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 21 Apr. 2023
  • That might sound long, but the time flew by–I’d sometimes listen to a podcast, or have a long phone call with a friend, or just watch the city’s lights switch on as darkness fell.
    — Radhika Seth, Vogue, 20 Feb. 2024
  • Younger kids can draw pictures or make gifts to send, and the sick parent can record messages or the child's favorite book to listen to at bedtime.
    — Suzie Glassman, Parents, 20 Feb. 2024
  • One man, who was stationed overseas while in the Army in 1973, recalled listening to the Belmont on the radio and crying tears of joy.
    — Melissa Hoppert, New York Times, 10 June 2023
  • To get their buy-in, experts said, the CEO will need to truly listen to the issues and make sure his leadership team helps to enact change.
    — Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 24 Mar. 2023
  • When not in the newsroom or chasing down a source, he can be found painting, listening to hip-hop or watching sports.
    — Joel Umanzor, San Francisco Chronicle, 5 May 2023
  • But then there was T.I. and his country drawl, kicking game in a wifebeater to any woman in a bikini willing to listen.
    — Caleb Catlin, Billboard, 14 Apr. 2023
  • There were going to be changes in the way that recorded music was consumed: young people were starting to listen to MP3s.
    — Tessa Hadley, The New Yorker, 17 July 2023
  • The town hall presentation was broadcast to any state worker who logged in to listen, and roughly 8,000 did at some point.
    — Erin Cox, Washington Post, 9 Feb. 2024
  • Find quick links for all of this, plus instructions on how to listen to The Dallas Morning News on your smart speakers and devices at dallasnews.com/listen.
    — Sportsday Staff, Dallas News, 31 May 2023
  • All around the world, fans are channeling their inner alien superstar to listen to the singer's nearly three-hour set list.
    — Jazmin Gathers, Glamour, 22 June 2023
  • The music is not blazing in your ears, but instead, is more like background listening.
    — Carlos Rico, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Feb. 2024
  • Sanders said nonprofits should listen more to donors who seek more privacy for their gifts.
    — Glenn Gamboa, Quartz, 8 Feb. 2024
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listen

2 of 2 noun
  • Moore says that at first listen, the song may sound like a spring break fling.
    — Cindy Watts, Peoplemag, 11 Oct. 2022
  • At first listen, the Sharonas sound a little thick and muffled in the midrange.
    — Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 9 Oct. 2022
  • Then came the make-or-break moment, the moment that sealed both of their fates: the first listen.
    — Lanford Beard, PEOPLE.com, 23 Mar. 2022
  • Take a listen: Talk to Natasha on Twitter: @natashanyt.
    — New York Times, 18 Sep. 2020
  • Take a read — and a listen — and prepare to never look at shampoo the same way again.
    — Julie Ricevuto, Allure, 25 Nov. 2020
  • So why not give the pod a listen and the maxim a try to boost your summer’s success rate?
    — Pablo Goldstein, Vulture, 1 July 2021
  • But before the first episode is released on April 19, take a listen to the new trailer above.
    — Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 5 Apr. 2023
  • But over several listens, the backstory starts to fall away, and the song as a whole sinks in.
    — Mark Richardson, Pitchfork, 2 Nov. 2023
  • Jason Lipshutz: No on the first listen, yes on the fifth listen.
    — Rania Aniftos, Billboard, 21 Nov. 2023
  • Check out or staff picks and give our Friday Orange and Brown Talk a listen.
    — Dan Labbe, cleveland, 18 Oct. 2020
  • The simple answer is that the record is a one-listen monster global smash.
    — Billboard Staff, Billboard, 11 Sep. 2020
  • Give it a listen on its own — or as part of Spotify's Hanukkah playlist.
    — Alexandra Schonfeld, Peoplemag, 24 Nov. 2023
  • For a full listen, the album clocks in at just over an hour, and the new edition features a total of 16 tracks.
    — Shelby Stewart, Chron, 2 July 2021
  • Some episodes are funny, others skew poignant and all are a great listen.
    — Lizz Schumer, Good Housekeeping, 23 May 2022
  • His talents take on new life on the second or third listen, more so than in the initial play-through.
    — Billboard China, Billboard, 14 Nov. 2022
  • The four of you talking in such a personal way is a moving listen.
    — A.d. Amorosi, Variety, 16 Nov. 2022
  • Before the first episode is released on April 7, take a listen to the brand new trailer of season 2 now.
    — Tanner Saunders, Travel + Leisure, 24 Mar. 2021
  • The full interview is an hour long and is worth the full listen here on Spotify, too.
    — Alyssa Bailey, ELLE, 28 Sep. 2022
  • Watch the video above to get your exclusive first listen to the new musical.
    — Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 13 July 2022
  • Have a listen to multiple audio clips of the event, and judge for yourself.
    — Kristen Waggoner, National Review, 21 Mar. 2022
  • So his views on storytelling are well worth a good listen.
    — Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2023
  • Every tap, song start, playlist listen, search, shuffle, and pause is logged.
    — Matt Burgess, Wired, 7 Aug. 2021
  • Plus, the original tracks by the series’s co-creator, the singer Sara Bareilles, make for a lovely listen.
    — Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 1 Mar. 2022
  • On first listen, Tirzah’s latest album seems like a feint.
    — Pitchfork, 7 Dec. 2023
  • The cover version by Natalie Bergman and Beck is worth a listen, too.
    — Natalie Maher, Harper's BAZAAR, 28 Apr. 2023
  • Take a listen as Finebaum explains the Tide has won one national championship in the past five years.
    — Mark Heim | Mheim@al.com, al, 8 Nov. 2022
  • Pence’s speech deserves a listen not just for its content but for its framing.
    — Matthew Continetti, National Review, 22 Oct. 2022
  • First and foremost is ‘focus on mission’ and 2nd is ‘listen’.
    — Kathleen Walch, Forbes, 22 Jan. 2022
  • But a closer listen to his words suggested that the grueling sales process might have been the easy part.
    — Tariq Panja, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2024
  • The lyrics are really important, but those tend to hit you after the third or fourth listen.
    — Kyle Denis, Billboard, 17 Nov. 2023

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'listen.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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