prowler
noun
prowl·er
ˈprau̇-lər 
plural prowlers
: a person or animal that prowls
Within a few million years of this major turning point in Earth history, the seas were swarming with myriad forms of life, swimmers, prowlers, sedentary beasts, and burrowers.—
Roger Lewin
Roger Lewin
especially
: a person who moves through an area or place in a quiet and stealthy way in order to commit a crime
There were reports of a prowler in the neighborhood.
He felt uneasy being out there by himself. No one ever walked in Linden Hills, and he didn't want to be mistaken for a prowler. —Gloria Naylor
Gloria Naylor … she kills him with a shotgun, claiming that in the dark she mistook him for a prowler. —Lawrence Eisenberg
Lawrence Eisenberg Examples of prowler in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The post came less than two weeks after TCU police warned of a nighttime prowler or prowlers in neighborhoods south of campus.
—James Hartley, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Feb. 2024
Investigators asked anyone with information about the prowler to call Eastern Division at (858) 495-7900 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.
—Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Feb. 2024
Simply the sound of a barking dog can cause a prowler to change his mind.
—Anne Kniggendorf, Kansas City Star, 31 Jan. 2024
On a recent weekday evening, a group of Sierra Club members met before sunset at Mount Diablo State Park in Walnut Creek in hopes of witnessing a few of these desperate, single-minded, eight-legged prowlers.
—Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2023
After an incident where a prowler is caught around their house, things start to not add up in their new life.
—Mike Rose, cleveland, 10 Sep. 2023
About two hours before the fatal attack, a woman called police and reported a prowler in the apartment building.
—David Hernandez, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Aug. 2023
In November 2019, east Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office applauded an investigation by sheriff’s deputies that led to the sentencing that month of prolific burglar and car prowler Jesse Lee Calhoun, who fought with an officer and a police dog upon arrest, according to court records.
—oregonlive, 17 July 2023
Allen met with detectives voluntarily on Aug. 10 about the June breach of privacy case and admitted being the prowler.
—Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 13 Apr. 2023
James Hartley, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Feb. 2024
Investigators asked anyone with information about the prowler to call Eastern Division at (858) 495-7900 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.
—Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Feb. 2024
Simply the sound of a barking dog can cause a prowler to change his mind.
—Anne Kniggendorf, Kansas City Star, 31 Jan. 2024
On a recent weekday evening, a group of Sierra Club members met before sunset at Mount Diablo State Park in Walnut Creek in hopes of witnessing a few of these desperate, single-minded, eight-legged prowlers.
—Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2023
After an incident where a prowler is caught around their house, things start to not add up in their new life.
—Mike Rose, cleveland, 10 Sep. 2023
About two hours before the fatal attack, a woman called police and reported a prowler in the apartment building.
—David Hernandez, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Aug. 2023
In November 2019, east Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office applauded an investigation by sheriff’s deputies that led to the sentencing that month of prolific burglar and car prowler Jesse Lee Calhoun, who fought with an officer and a police dog upon arrest, according to court records.
—oregonlive, 17 July 2023
Allen met with detectives voluntarily on Aug. 10 about the June breach of privacy case and admitted being the prowler.
—Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 13 Apr. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'prowler.' 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 prowler
Cite this Entry
“Prowler.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prowler. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share