idiom · neutral
hear it on the grapevine
UK/hɪə(r) ɪt ɒn ðə ˈɡreɪpvaɪn/US/hɪr ɪt ɑn ðə ˈɡreɪpˌvaɪn/hear it on the GRAPE·vine
to hear news or information through informal gossip or rumours
Examples
“I heard it on the grapevine that they might close the office.”
“Don't take it as fact — I only heard it on the grapevine.”
“She heard it on the grapevine that a promotion was coming.”
Band 8 sentence
“Although I heard it on the grapevine, I waited for official confirmation before reporting it.”
Collocations
- hear it on the grapevine that
- I heard it on the grapevine
Word family
Common mistakes
hear it on grapevine→hear it on the grapevine
hear on the grapevine→hear it on the grapevine
Say it for a higher band
5hear a rumour→6I heard a rumour that→7+hear it on the grapevine
Synonyms
hear a rumour
Easily confused
hear a rumour
“I heard a rumour that they were moving to London.”
Related words
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In Communication
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