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

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 Anyone who prowled filthy Hollywood rock clubs in the early Bush administration will have plenty to recognize in the film’s noir-ish mood. — August Brown, latimes.com, "Joe Cardamone of the Icarus Line finds faith in music after a string of tragedies," 20 June 2018 Curfew Three minor males were cited for possession of alcohol, violation of curfew and prowling at 1:21 a.m. June 15 in the 600 block of North Van Auken Street after police responded for a possible burglary of a vehicle. — Graydon Megan, chicagotribune.com, "Police: A watermelon dropped from a parking deck in Elmhurst almost hit a pedestrian," 22 June 2018 There really are too many to go over every way the four accounts interacted, liked, prowled, and posted on Twitter, but there are a few things that are interesting considering today’s numerous statements. — Sarah Todd, Philly.com, "Barbara Bottini's Twitter act cost Bryan Colangelo his job with Sixers," 7 June 2018 Gunman Nikolas Cruz prowled the halls of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School for six horrible minutes – a flash of terror where life and death became a matter of chance. — Sun-Sentinel.com, "New details: How the Parkland school shooting unfolded," 24 Apr. 2018 Charges: Loitering or prowling; fraud, impersonation, giving a fake ID to an officer Bond: n/a Release Date: June 28 at 12:51 p.m. — Judith Zizzo, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Fraud, money laundering, burglary among recent Delray Beach arrest reports," 3 July 2018 Other celebrities who prowl the red carpets: take note. — Liz Raiss, GQ, "Jay-Z Brought His Entire Suit Collection to the "APES**T" Video," 18 June 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

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 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 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 VERIZON Verizon, which bought AOL and Yahoo in recent years, could be on the prowl for other entertainment properties. — Washington Post, "Comcast offer for Fox expected after favorable AT&T ruling," 12 June 2018 Wavecrest Open Space Preserve In winter, this area on the southern edge of Half Moon Bay is a premier spot for watching raptors on the prowl for rodents like the California vole. — Jill K. Robinson, SFChronicle.com, "5 places to spot birds in Half Moon Bay," 12 July 2018 Now, with Russia once again on the prowl, that alliance seems to be at risk in ways that were virtually inconceivable when Latvia joined in 2004. — Marc Santora, New York Times, "Trump Derides NATO as ‘Obsolete.’ Baltic Nations See It Much Differently.," 10 July 2018 Mancini took that challenge to a macro level in Cult of Chucky, which saw the killer able to split his soul between multiple host bodies, setting up for a Chucky universe with various dolls on the prowl. — Richard Newby, The Hollywood Reporter, "What Could Be Lost with a 'Child's Play' Remake," 5 July 2018 Paris would indeed fall to invading German forces on June 14, 1940, and thieves surely did prowl that dark confusion. — Darran Anderson, The Atlantic, "The Cities That Never Existed," 17 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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Dictionary Entries near prowl

Statistics for prowl

Last Updated

20 Oct 2018

Look-up Popularity

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

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