prey on/upon
phrasal verb
preyed on/upon; preying on/upon; preys on/upon
1
: to hunt and kill (something) for food
The wolves prey on small animals.
2
: to hurt, cheat, or steal from (someone)
criminals who prey on lonely elderly people
Examples of prey on/upon in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Courtesy of Conservancy of Southwest Florida Burmese pythons are an invasive species in the U.S., normally native to Southeast Asia, and prey on over 72 different species of animals in Florida, said Conservancy wildlife biologist Ian Bartoszek.
—
Mirna Alsharif, NBC News, 19 Mar. 2024
They’ve been known to scale or dig beneath fences to prey on pets.
—Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2024
Buyers might have unrealistic expectations for unscrupulous salespeople to prey upon.
—Kyle Russell, USA TODAY, 16 Mar. 2024
Coyotes may prey on the small mammals and birds attracted to a backyard bird feeder or garden.
—Jennifer Dixon, Detroit Free Press, 14 Mar. 2024
There is no reason this person should ever be set free again to prey on others.
—Greg Wehner, Fox News, 12 Mar. 2024
On land, birds, crabs, and small mammals prey on eggs and hatchlings.
—Jake Parks, Discover Magazine, 6 Mar. 2024
Hawks and owls prey on rodents bounding across grassy slopes.
—Louis Sahagún, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2024
Walking in the forest with a bird of prey on my hunting glove was unbelievable.
—Lisa Niver, Travel + Leisure, 29 Oct. 2023
Mirna Alsharif, NBC News, 19 Mar. 2024
They’ve been known to scale or dig beneath fences to prey on pets.
—Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2024
Buyers might have unrealistic expectations for unscrupulous salespeople to prey upon.
—Kyle Russell, USA TODAY, 16 Mar. 2024
Coyotes may prey on the small mammals and birds attracted to a backyard bird feeder or garden.
—Jennifer Dixon, Detroit Free Press, 14 Mar. 2024
There is no reason this person should ever be set free again to prey on others.
—Greg Wehner, Fox News, 12 Mar. 2024
On land, birds, crabs, and small mammals prey on eggs and hatchlings.
—Jake Parks, Discover Magazine, 6 Mar. 2024
Hawks and owls prey on rodents bounding across grassy slopes.
—Louis Sahagún, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2024
Walking in the forest with a bird of prey on my hunting glove was unbelievable.
—Lisa Niver, Travel + Leisure, 29 Oct. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'prey on/upon.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near prey on/upon
Cite this Entry
“Prey on/upon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prey%20on%2Fupon. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
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