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
Laura Dannen Redman, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 May 2026
Eye dominance, in this context, is ancient, part of a vertebrate inheritance that predates our lineage by hundreds of millions of years.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026
Declining enrollment and rising labor costs plague school districts across the Bay Area and California, but Contra Costa County schools’ financial problems long predate its current crises.
—East Bay Times Editorial Board, Mercury News, 27 May 2026
In a statement, MGB said the Brigham’s work on hospice enrollment in 2022 wasn’t a mortality initiative, and was just good care that predated the quality efforts.
—Jessica Bartlett — Boston Globe, STAT, 21 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for predate
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Verb
Rivalries like the Old Firm are also fueled by sectarian differences that predate the Troubles in Ireland.
—Laura Dannen Redman, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 May 2026
Eye dominance, in this context, is ancient, part of a vertebrate inheritance that predates our lineage by hundreds of millions of years.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026
Declining enrollment and rising labor costs plague school districts across the Bay Area and California, but Contra Costa County schools’ financial problems long predate its current crises.
—East Bay Times Editorial Board, Mercury News, 27 May 2026
In a statement, MGB said the Brigham’s work on hospice enrollment in 2022 wasn’t a mortality initiative, and was just good care that predated the quality efforts.
—Jessica Bartlett — Boston Globe, STAT, 21 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for predate
Cite this Entry
“Predate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/predate. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
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predate
verb
pre·date
(ˈ)prē-ˈdāt 
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