1
2
as in victim
a person or thing harmed, lost, or destroyed
he fell prey to nagging—but groundless—doubts about his wife's fidelity
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in target
a person or thing that is the object of abuse, criticism, or ridicule
that woman has a sharp tongue, and her favored prey is her long-suffering husband
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of prey
To what extent did Nicaragua fall prey to it during the Sandinista period?
—
Tim Brinkhof, JSTOR Daily, 8 Oct. 2025
Breed and genetics Some large breeds have a natural prey drive, so pairing them with very small dogs requires extra caution.
—Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025
Another video shows the leopard pulling its prey up from the ground, carrying it and eating it.
—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 6 Oct. 2025
Black widows are attracted to homes by prey, clutter, and dark, secluded areas like garages and sheds.
—Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 6 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prey
Tim Brinkhof, JSTOR Daily, 8 Oct. 2025
Breed and genetics Some large breeds have a natural prey drive, so pairing them with very small dogs requires extra caution.
—Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025
Another video shows the leopard pulling its prey up from the ground, carrying it and eating it.
—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 6 Oct. 2025
Black widows are attracted to homes by prey, clutter, and dark, secluded areas like garages and sheds.
—Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 6 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prey
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prey
Noun
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The volunteers blocked off the grassy fields at Holliday Park and backed their quarry against the fountain.—
Heather Bushman,
IndyStar,
3 Oct. 2025
-
There are houses with multi- generational expansions, a farm, synagogue, stone quarry, wells, crops, and livestock.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Bystanders in the area helped authorities lift part of the helicopter and get the victim out, who was then loaded into an ambulance, according to Sylvia.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
7 Oct. 2025
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The first arriving engine found one of the victims had been trapped under the helicopter, Sylvia said.—
Ishani Desai,
Sacbee.com,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Yes, that equaled zero targets, but Washington equaled zero yards on five targets and four receptions.—
Jake Ciely,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
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Without the protection of the non-statutory labor exemption, the NFL’s salary cap and other limitations on players’ earning opportunities became targets for antitrust law.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
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In the absence of independent monitoring on the ground, the ministry is the primary source for casualty data relied upon by humanitarian groups, journalists, and international bodies.—
Callum Sutherland,
Time,
9 Oct. 2025
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The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government, and the United Nations and many independent experts consider its figures to be the most reliable estimate of wartime casualties.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
9 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Prey.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prey. Accessed 11 Oct. 2025.
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