1
as in shrew
a bad-tempered scolding woman
in fairy tales stepmothers are often portrayed as harpies who make the lives of their stepchildren miserable
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2
as in predator
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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of harpy
Others portrayed her as a harpy, a notoriously disagreeable mythical beast that was half bird-of-prey, half woman.
—
The Economist, 9 Nov. 2019
The clergy and royal courts in days of yore used images of griffins, hellmouths, harpies, dragons and sea swine to instill fear, to divide anxious populations, to assert dominance and control, and to ostracize non-Europeans.
—Steven Litt, cleveland.com, 1 Sep. 2019
Elizabeth Moss, as Claire, has based her career playing sad-sacks and harpies, in Mad Men, The Square, The Handmaid’s Tale, and Her Smell; so Moss is a comic actress by default.
—Armond White, National Review, 9 Aug. 2019
There are fairies and nymphs, unicorns, harpies, giants, ogres, trolls, Gollums and dragons.
—Patti Restivo, baltimoresun.com, 14 June 2019
See All Example Sentences for harpy
The Economist, 9 Nov. 2019
The clergy and royal courts in days of yore used images of griffins, hellmouths, harpies, dragons and sea swine to instill fear, to divide anxious populations, to assert dominance and control, and to ostracize non-Europeans.
—Steven Litt, cleveland.com, 1 Sep. 2019
Elizabeth Moss, as Claire, has based her career playing sad-sacks and harpies, in Mad Men, The Square, The Handmaid’s Tale, and Her Smell; so Moss is a comic actress by default.
—Armond White, National Review, 9 Aug. 2019
There are fairies and nymphs, unicorns, harpies, giants, ogres, trolls, Gollums and dragons.
—Patti Restivo, baltimoresun.com, 14 June 2019
See All Example Sentences for harpy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harpy
Noun
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The researchers went through hundreds of rodent and shrew carcasses to look for mpox infections and found one: the carcass of a squirrel that had died less than three months before the outbreak started.—
Lillian Ali,
Smithsonian Magazine,
18 Apr. 2025
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While native mammals span from the endemic Cretan lesser white-toothed shrew to the Blasius’s horseshoe bat, the preserve is perhaps best known for its high concentration of Cretan goats, a type of ruminant that serves as the official mascot of the park.—
Jared Ranahan,
Forbes,
3 Mar. 2025
Noun
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When the moment comes, however, Raphinha is a predator.—
Beren Cross,
New York Times,
8 May 2025
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With a Hall of Fame-caliber resume, the apex predator appears coiled and ready to strike at his next challenger, John Cena, this Saturday (May 10), at Backlash in Orton’s hometown of St. Louis.—
Carl Lamarre,
Billboard,
7 May 2025
Noun
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In Coogler’s cinematic and musical world of vampire horror, the Chinese characters are deeply integrated into the Delta’s Black community, dancing alongside Black partygoers.—
Erika Hayasaki,
Smithsonian Magazine,
13 May 2025
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The Wicked actress will star as the titular vampire, as well as the 22 other roles, in an adaptation of Dracula set to debut in London’s West End in February 2026, per Deadline.—
Mathew Rodriguez,
Them.,
13 May 2025
Noun
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The study’s authors stress that vulture research and conservation need to continue to keep ecosystems safe from disease, especially since vultures in the Americas are starting to look more vulnerable than ever.—
Jack Knudson,
Discover Magazine,
9 May 2025
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Intelligencer The Cut Vulture The Strategist Curbed Grub Street vulture games May 2, 2025 A new Cinematrix drops every morning.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
2 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Harpy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harpy. Accessed 23 May. 2025.
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