as in rapacious
living by killing and eating other animals
hawks are predatory and pose a danger to rabbits and other pets
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of predatory
The North Carolina Real Estate Commission launched a probe in January after receiving eight complaints from former American Log Homes customers about predatory practices.
—
Amber Gaudet, Charlotte Observer, 18 May 2026
But for predatory species that need prey to eat, growing them in a lab is more challenging.
—Ashley MacKin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 May 2026
The predatory add-ons were annoying.
—Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 9 May 2026
Late spring, after threat of frost has passed Dill is a fabulous garden plant, providing flavorful foliage and seeds for kitchen use, as well as vibrant blooms beloved by predatory wasps, lacewings, and syrphid flies.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 9 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for predatory
Amber Gaudet, Charlotte Observer, 18 May 2026
But for predatory species that need prey to eat, growing them in a lab is more challenging.
—Ashley MacKin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 May 2026
The predatory add-ons were annoying.
—Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 9 May 2026
Late spring, after threat of frost has passed Dill is a fabulous garden plant, providing flavorful foliage and seeds for kitchen use, as well as vibrant blooms beloved by predatory wasps, lacewings, and syrphid flies.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 9 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for predatory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for predatory
Adjective
-
Not the timeless myths of rapacious, demonic women or saintly self-sacrificial mothers.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 May 2026
-
Is no one else bothered by the rapacious greed?—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
2 May 2026
Adjective
-
Gone was the meek servant child, replaced by a confident woman who remained composed during aggressive cross-examination.—
Yudhijit Bhattacharjee,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
-
The new reality finds those legacy players, with the single exception of Disney, playing defense as tech’s flywheel spins faster, and their pursuit of TV ad dollars becomes even more aggressive.—
Alex Weprin,
HollywoodReporter,
18 May 2026
Adjective
-
These food-crops also benefit from the work performed by predaceous insects that control populations of crop-eating invertebrates.—
Bruce Beehler,
Baltimore Sun,
17 Aug. 2025
-
Biological control: Parasitic wasps, predaceous beetles and birds assist in lowering sawfly populations.—
Rita Perwich,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The front pair of legs is raptorial, meaning they are used for catching and grasping prey.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Villegas pushed for the original measure after dangerous speeding and red-light running by raptorial tow drivers ended in a nearly catastrophic crash in his ward that saw a bus that had been hit by a tow truck plow through a storefront.—
Jake Sheridan,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Hassane spoke at the afternoon news conference about the deadly attack at his institution this morning, decrying the conditions that could create such violence.—
Dennis Romero,
NBC news,
19 May 2026
-
The most severe form of Legionella bacteria infection leads to Legionnaires’ disease, a serious and potentially deadly type of pneumonia, the CDC says.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
18 May 2026
Adjective
-
The first wave of women’s-rights activists won suffrage for women, against ferocious and sometimes violent opposition.—
Helen Lewis,
The Atlantic,
14 May 2026
-
Featuring aching, ferocious performances from Emmy winners Hannah Einbinder and Gillian Anderson, Camp Miasma imagines the resurrection of a dormant slasher franchise.—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
11 May 2026
Adjective
-
White Sox fans got the last laugh on Sunday afternoon as their squad completed a wild, thrilling comeback victory over their crosstown rivals.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
18 May 2026
-
Ebola virus is transmitted to people from wild animals, such as fruit bats, porcupines and non-human primates, with fruit bats believed to be the natural hosts of the orthoebolavirus.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
18 May 2026
Adjective
-
Take George Mullins — 18 years old at the battle of Carentan, one of the most savage engagements of the war, where his company lost 43 of its 45 men in three days of fighting.—
Afdhel Aziz,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
-
The perpetrators of these crimes are savage animals without a shred of humanity.—
Bobby Zirkin,
Baltimore Sun,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Predatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/predatory. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
