1
as in shrews
a bad-tempered scolding woman
in fairy tales stepmothers are often portrayed as harpies who make the lives of their stepchildren miserable
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in predators
a person who habitually preys upon others
having just started to make it really big in the music business, he found himself surrounded by a flock of harpies greedy for a piece of the action
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of harpies
And because harpies rely on large emergent trees for nesting and an extensive, continuous canopy for hunting, even partial deforestation will severely disrupt their ability to breed and forage.
—
Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 17 May 2026
In the right-wing imagination, these women are acting like harpies — an epithet often seen online — when they’re supposed to be helpmeets.
—Michelle Goldberg, Mercury News, 20 Jan. 2026
Think a front desk hewn from Dionysos marble and sconces in the shape of harpies.
—Sam Cochran, Architectural Digest, 11 Aug. 2025
Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 17 May 2026
In the right-wing imagination, these women are acting like harpies — an epithet often seen online — when they’re supposed to be helpmeets.
—Michelle Goldberg, Mercury News, 20 Jan. 2026
Think a front desk hewn from Dionysos marble and sconces in the shape of harpies.
—Sam Cochran, Architectural Digest, 11 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harpies
Noun
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These are important tools used for both feeding and building their dens and digging for other menu items such as mice, gophers, voles and shrews.—
Ernie Cowan,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 June 2026
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The tiny bodies of weasels, shrews and bats burn energy so fast that skipping even one meal can mean starvation.—
Leonie Baier,
The Conversation,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The Dinosaur Science Show, which brings audiences face-to-face with a life-sized Tyrannosaurus rex while exploring the science behind Earth's most legendary predators.—
Alysia Burgio,
CBS News,
9 June 2026
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If the snake population continues to decline, this could have harmful effects on the ecosystem, as snakes are both intermediate and apex predators, serving as both predator and prey.—
Carson Bonner,
AJC.com,
9 June 2026
Noun
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Who knew vampires made such a good metaphor for America’s worst excesses?—
Jessica Gelt,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2026
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Lestat justifies his, uh, connection with Gabriella by arguing that vampires transcend petty human concepts like conventional morality.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
7 June 2026
Noun
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The cougar would have done a good job of stripping off the main parts, then vultures and smaller animals would have cleaned up the leftovers.—
Joan Morris,
Mercury News,
1 June 2026
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While riding the property, Rip spots vultures circling overhead and goes to investigate, only to discover Wes' remains.—
Samantha Stutsman,
PEOPLE,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Harpies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harpies. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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