predated; predating; predates
: to prey on (something or someone)
Animals predate other animals in nature, but that is hardly commensurate with a massive worldwide farming industry that breeds species purely for our purpose.—
Jenny Diski
Jenny DiskiAre high-profile men that sexually predate women finally starting to lose immunity?—Alex McKinnon
Alex McKinnonAll cats may predate but those living indoors have little opportunity to do so.—Kevin Stafford
Kevin StaffordThere are many species that predate on pigeons and doves.—Revati
RevatiExamples of predate in a Sentence
Verb (1)
modes of transportation that predate the car
the native people who predated European settlers in America
Recent Examples on the Web
Tere Aguilera, Billboard, 23 Oct. 2025
And so to see this whole thing falling apart, her son going down the tubes, what's going to happen to him, her husband, lie after lie and deception after deception, on top of things that predate the show.
—H. Alan Scott, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
In a case that predated the Israel-Hamas war, the court said Israel abused its position as an occupying power and called on it to cease new settlement activity, evacuate settlers and make reparations for the damage caused.
—Lauren Kent, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2025
The outflow of residents to other states also predates the surtax and reflects other factors such as high housing costs.
—Fortune, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for predate
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Verb
The most experienced participant on the panel, Codiciado — part of the generation that emerged in Tijuana during the pandemic that predates the corridos tumbados movement — shared valuable advice with his peers.
—Tere Aguilera, Billboard, 23 Oct. 2025
And so to see this whole thing falling apart, her son going down the tubes, what's going to happen to him, her husband, lie after lie and deception after deception, on top of things that predate the show.
—H. Alan Scott, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
In a case that predated the Israel-Hamas war, the court said Israel abused its position as an occupying power and called on it to cease new settlement activity, evacuate settlers and make reparations for the damage caused.
—Lauren Kent, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2025
The outflow of residents to other states also predates the surtax and reflects other factors such as high housing costs.
—Fortune, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for predate
Cite this Entry
“Predate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/predate. Accessed 25 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
predate
verb
pre·date
(ˈ)prē-ˈdāt 
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