prowl

verb

\ ˈprau̇(-ə)l

prowled; prowling; prowls

Definition of prowl

(Entry 1 of 2)

intransitive verb

: to move about or wander stealthily in or as if in search of prey

transitive verb

: to roam over in a predatory manner

prowl

noun

Definition of prowl (Entry 2 of 2)

: an act or instance of prowling

on the prowl

: in the act of prowling also : in search of something his fourth wife had just left him, and he was on the prowl again — Mary McCarthy

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Examples of prowl in a Sentence

Verb

a tiger prowling in the jungle He moved like a tiger prowling the jungle. The police were prowling the streets in their patrol cars. He liked to prowl the streets late at night. I prowled the store looking for sales. I prowled through the store looking for sales.

Noun

a prowl through the bookshop

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Based on a 2014 novel by William Giraldi and starring Jeffrey Wright and Alexander Skarsgård, the film is set in a snowy landscape where wolves prowl and the Alaskan frontier citizenry is armed to the teeth. — Taylor Antrim, Vogue, "With Hold the Dark, Netflix’s Original Movies Are Finally Getting Interesting," 28 Sep. 2018 Ditosti, who has been prowling fairgrounds with his camera for 15 years, packs plenty into each frame. — BostonGlobe.com, "The Ticket: What’s happening in the local arts world," 1 June 2018 There was a big spike in reporting of both car prowls and motor vehicle theft in 2013 and 2014. — Gene Balk / Fyi Guy, The Seattle Times, "Nearly half of Seattle property crime involves a motor vehicle," 23 Oct. 2018 Navy intelligence knew of Japanese submarines prowling the ship’s route, one or two of which had recently sunk the destroyer Underhill, but Capt. — Walter R. Borneman, WSJ, "‘Indianapolis’ Review: Supreme Sacriﬁce," 30 Aug. 2018 He was arrested for burglary—a felony—as well as misdemeanor charges of prowling. — Timothy B. Lee, Ars Technica, "Burglar wakes up couple to ask to use their Wi-Fi network," 26 July 2018 Just before midnight the previous night, police say, the same young man was found prowling around outside another Palo Alto home. — Timothy B. Lee, Ars Technica, "Burglar wakes up couple to ask to use their Wi-Fi network," 26 July 2018 Legend says the Bannockburn, sometimes nicknamed the Flying Dutchman of the Great Lakes, lives on as a ghost ship that has been spotted many times since its disappearance still prowling the water. — Ann Zaniewski, Detroit Free Press, "8 undiscovered shipwrecks of the Great Lakes," 22 June 2018 Gopal said she's located an 80-acre property in Northwest Indiana away from highways and busy streets, where predators often prowl for unwary victims. — Karen Caffarini, Post-Tribune, "Group leading effort to help sex trafficking victims in Northwest Indiana," 25 May 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Matzkow faces charges of felony theft, possession of methamphetamine, driving, hit and run, first degree burglary and loiter prowl, according to jail records. — Zachary Hansen, ajc, "Cops: Cobb man high on meth steals SUV, rams through gate before breaking into home," 11 July 2018 The High School Musical franchise will also be available there, if there are still any Wildcats fans on the prowl. — Marisa Lascala, Good Housekeeping, "The Disney+ Streaming Service Sounds Like It's Going to Be Every Parent's BFF," 2 Jan. 2019 There are areas that suddenly increase in the number of car prowls. — Gene Balk / Fyi Guy, The Seattle Times, "Nearly half of Seattle property crime involves a motor vehicle," 23 Oct. 2018 Police surrounded the area, but mosquitoes were on the prowl. — Chris Stirewalt, Fox News, "Flake & Co. try to tame partisan wildfire," 28 Sep. 2018 But Volvo isn't on the prowl for the sportiest drivers or greenest drivers for the S60. — Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, "The 2019 Volvo S60 is Swedish style at a surprisingly good price," 16 Oct. 2018 One group, says the museum’s Marie Foulston, a videogames specialist and lead curator of the show, consists of serious gamers on the prowl for behind-the-scenes details about their favorites. — J.s. Marcus, WSJ, "In London, Videogames Ascend into the Art World," 3 Aug. 2018 Touting icy raps and buttery vocals, Lanez has been on the prowl, vying for a chance to usurp the crown for king of rap, despite his relatively short resume. — Carl Lamarre, Billboard, "Tory Lanez on His New Album 'Memories Don't Die,' Potential Joint Project With Meek Mill & Why 50 Cent Is His Mentor," 5 Mar. 2018 VERIZON Verizon, which bought AOL and Yahoo in recent years, could be on the prowl for other entertainment properties. — Mae Anderson, chicagotribune.com, "After AT&T-Time Warner win, is Comcast-Fox a done deal?," 13 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'prowl.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

21 Apr 2019

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Time Traveler for prowl

The first known use of prowl was in the 14th century

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More Definitions for prowl

prowl

verb

English Language Learners Definition of prowl

(Entry 1 of 2)

of an animal : to move quietly through an area while hunting

: to move through a place or area especially while searching for something often in a quiet or secret way

prowl

noun

English Language Learners Definition of prowl (Entry 2 of 2)

: an act of moving through a place while searching for something : an act of prowling

See the full definition for prowl in the English Language Learners Dictionary

prowl

verb

\ ˈprau̇l

prowled; prowling

Kids Definition of prowl

: to move about quietly and secretly in hunting or searching Phoebe prowled through the house, examining the walls and carpet …— Sharon Creech, Walk Two Moons