as in rapacious
living by killing and eating other animals
hawks are predatory and pose a danger to rabbits and other pets
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Recent Examples of predatory
Change may come from the states Following NPR's reporting in December, 40 members of Congress signed a letter petitioning the VA, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and Federal Trade Commission to crack down on predatory practices by claims companies.
—
Quil Lawrence, NPR, 4 May 2026
Connecticut’s lawmakers must act now, having the opportunity to follow New York in leading the nation to protect minors from predatory supplement companies.
—Jad Abdel Nour, Hartford Courant, 4 May 2026
Pixar fielded an original hit with an ecological storyline that pitted nature lovers and woodland animals against predatory highway developers.
—Stephen Schaefer, Boston Herald, 2 May 2026
At its center is a character called the Lizard Demon, an amalgamation of powerful, predatory men.
—Alison Weinflash, Rolling Stone, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for predatory
Quil Lawrence, NPR, 4 May 2026
Connecticut’s lawmakers must act now, having the opportunity to follow New York in leading the nation to protect minors from predatory supplement companies.
—Jad Abdel Nour, Hartford Courant, 4 May 2026
Pixar fielded an original hit with an ecological storyline that pitted nature lovers and woodland animals against predatory highway developers.
—Stephen Schaefer, Boston Herald, 2 May 2026
At its center is a character called the Lizard Demon, an amalgamation of powerful, predatory men.
—Alison Weinflash, Rolling Stone, 1 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
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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
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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
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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
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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
-
Critic Rex Reed, who died Tuesday at 87, built his career on savage, acerbic reviews delivered with little restraint, earning a reputation as a provocateur.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
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Initially a beachy utopia where the children run free among nature, things become increasingly savage as help appears to be ever further away.—
Connor Sturges,
Condé Nast Traveler,
6 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Predatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/predatory. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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