as in vampires
a person who habitually preys upon others
measures taken to protect minors against sexual predators
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of predators
Since arriving, the snakes have become top predators in the ecosystem and are severely reducing native mammal populations.
—
Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 28 Apr. 2026
These snakes have become top predators in the ecosystem and are severely reducing native mammal populations.
—Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 28 Apr. 2026
The birds of prey were not killed by natural factors, predators or vehicle strikes, according to officials, leaving investigators to believe the birds were killed under suspicious circumstances.
—Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 28 Apr. 2026
This means predators such as birds, insects, and animals leave it alone.
—Victoria Spencer, Martha Stewart, 27 Apr. 2026
Some don't make it, lost to weather or predators.
—Sharyn Alfonsi, CBS News, 26 Apr. 2026
Around the world, birds flock to salt lakes, drawn by the flies and brine shrimp that live in them, and by the relative absence of predators.
—Rosa Lyster, The New York Review of Books, 25 Apr. 2026
Hippos have an average lifespan of up to 50 years and no natural predators in Colombia, which is why the population ballooned from just four to nearly 200 today.
—Carlie Procell, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2026
In today’s context, a 1996 film that brings down a dangerous ring of child predators feels ahead of its time, but during its release, there was more emphasis on poking holes in Carcaterra’s claim that Sleepers is based on his own true life story.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 25 Apr. 2026
Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 28 Apr. 2026
These snakes have become top predators in the ecosystem and are severely reducing native mammal populations.
—Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 28 Apr. 2026
The birds of prey were not killed by natural factors, predators or vehicle strikes, according to officials, leaving investigators to believe the birds were killed under suspicious circumstances.
—Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 28 Apr. 2026
This means predators such as birds, insects, and animals leave it alone.
—Victoria Spencer, Martha Stewart, 27 Apr. 2026
Some don't make it, lost to weather or predators.
—Sharyn Alfonsi, CBS News, 26 Apr. 2026
Around the world, birds flock to salt lakes, drawn by the flies and brine shrimp that live in them, and by the relative absence of predators.
—Rosa Lyster, The New York Review of Books, 25 Apr. 2026
Hippos have an average lifespan of up to 50 years and no natural predators in Colombia, which is why the population ballooned from just four to nearly 200 today.
—Carlie Procell, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2026
In today’s context, a 1996 film that brings down a dangerous ring of child predators feels ahead of its time, but during its release, there was more emphasis on poking holes in Carcaterra’s claim that Sleepers is based on his own true life story.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 25 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for predators
Noun
-
Pajak’s Sam must drive home the lesson that the real vampires are those creatures who try to steal your true soul — your individuality.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
-
By the final showdown, the production has made use of every bit of stage space, with sensational flying sequences (choreographed by Lauren Yalango-Grant and Christopher Cree Grant) that allow the vampires to float, hover, and—in one especially intense moment—dive from that bridge.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Despite their aging heart, the sharks seemed quite able to get around—some of the specimens in the study were collected by longline fishing in Greenland waters, suggesting the sharks could find bait and successfully capture it.—
Jeanna Bryner,
Scientific American,
4 May 2026
-
Various species of sharks, some of which are endangered, hauled on shore at dawn by commercial fishermen at the Tanjung Luar port in East Lombok, Indonesia, last June.—
Jay Ganglani,
NBC news,
3 May 2026
Noun
-
Sudden encounters, like vultures sweeping overhead, turned curiosity into genuine excitement.—
Brit McCandless Farmer,
CBS News,
3 May 2026
-
In some cases, however, those vultures circling the air over yesterday’s gallerias, plazas and megamalls are actually vulture investors.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
The island is a natural laboratory, offering scientists a rare opportunity to observe wolves and moose largely free from human influence.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Apr. 2026
-
The bill would also rename a state program that reimburses ranchers who lose livestock to wolves, calling it the Wolf-Livestock Coexistence and Compensation Program.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The situation is tricky enough in the case of innovations that users voluntarily adopt—plenty of people do not let their dim view of Meta overly interfere with their enjoyment of Instagram.—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
New Yorker,
7 May 2026
-
The Fitbit Air may appeal to users seeking a simpler alternative to the Apple Watch — one with fewer distractions and notifications — or a cheaper option than rival health trackers.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
7 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Predators.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/predators. Accessed 12 May. 2026.
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