shrike

noun

ˈshrīk How to pronounce shrike (audio)
especially Southern ˈsrīk
: any of numerous usually largely gray or brownish oscine birds (family Laniidae) that have a hooked bill, feed chiefly on insects, and often impale their prey on thorns

Illustration of shrike

Illustration of shrike

Examples of shrike in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Several animals—including worms, lizards, small rodents, other birds, and even snakes—have fallen prey to the appetite of a shrike. — Daisy Hernandez, Popular Mechanics, 14 Apr. 2022 From a purple-pod terminalia tree a crimson-breasted shrike pontificated at us. — AFAR Media, 30 Oct. 2025 In addition to flycatchers, shrikes and some owls, bird species commonly trapped include bluebirds, woodpeckers, sparrows, and kestrels. — Grrlscientist, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2025 Among male green tree frogs, smaller specimens lower their voices to sound bigger, and shrikes, a type of songbird that uses false alarms to divert rivals from food or potential mates, lie as a matter of habit. — Paul Tullis, Town & Country, 30 Apr. 2023 See All Example Sentences for shrike

Word History

Etymology

perhaps from Middle English *shrik, from Old English scrīc thrush; akin to Middle English shriken to shriek

First Known Use

1544, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of shrike was in 1544

Phrases Containing shrike

Rhymes for shrike

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Browse Nearby Words

shriftfather
shrike
shrike thrush
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Cite this Entry

“Shrike.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shrike. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on shrike

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about shrike

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