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
RevatiSynonyms
Examples 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 WebStephen Kotkin, Foreign Affairs, 18 Apr. 2024
History: The roots of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and mistrust are deep and complex, predating the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948.
—Shira Rubin, Washington Post, 18 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for predate 
Verb
Chinese-Russian rapprochement predates the rise of Putin and Xi.
—Stephen Kotkin, Foreign Affairs, 18 Apr. 2024
History: The roots of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and mistrust are deep and complex, predating the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948.
—Shira Rubin, Washington Post, 18 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for predate
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'predate.' 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 predate
Cite this Entry
“Predate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/predate. Accessed 3 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
predate
verb
pre·date
(ˈ)prē-ˈdāt 
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