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
Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 29 July 2025
If obesity rates keep dropping into 2026 and beyond, MAHA's policy agenda could be positioned to claim credit for a trend largely driven by pharmaceutical breakthroughs that predate it.
—Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 July 2025
According to the team’s analysis, this ancient comet could be more than 7.5 billion years old, predating our Sun by over two billion years and making it the oldest celestial wanderer humanity has ever glimpsed.
—Pranjal Malewar, New Atlas, 20 July 2025
The trail is named after and home to the oldest tree in the world, Methuselah, whose existence predates the pyramids.
—Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for predate
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Verb
Now that the fog of war is lifting, upbeat forecasts that predated Liberation Day are back, meaning stocks could put up big numbers again—as if the tariff shock from a few months ago was all just a bad dream.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 29 July 2025
If obesity rates keep dropping into 2026 and beyond, MAHA's policy agenda could be positioned to claim credit for a trend largely driven by pharmaceutical breakthroughs that predate it.
—Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 July 2025
According to the team’s analysis, this ancient comet could be more than 7.5 billion years old, predating our Sun by over two billion years and making it the oldest celestial wanderer humanity has ever glimpsed.
—Pranjal Malewar, New Atlas, 20 July 2025
The trail is named after and home to the oldest tree in the world, Methuselah, whose existence predates the pyramids.
—Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 11 July 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 8 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
predate
verb
pre·date
(ˈ)prē-ˈdāt 
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