Wiretap (noun)

The act of secretly listening in on conversations or intercepting communications by tapping into a telephone or electronic communication device.

Origin:

From the practice of tapping telephone or telegraph wires to listen in on conversations.

Examples:

1. The police were granted permission to wiretap the suspect's phone.
2. The government's use of wiretaps has sparked debates about privacy rights.
3. The company discovered that their competitor had been wiretapping their confidential phone calls.
4. The FBI wiretapped the organized crime's phones for months before making the arrests.
5. The journalist revealed that the president's office had been wiretapped during the investigation.