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
Still, the predatory hawks that used to feed on those birds haven’t returned this year, Moore said, attributing their absence to avian flu.
—
Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 20 Jan. 2026
These were large, flightless predatory birds that dominated parts of South America for tens of millions of years.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 17 Jan. 2026
Included in the investigations, which covered the period between 2018 and 2022, were reports of incidents involving the exposure of genitals, predatory behavior toward female service personnel by their male counterparts, and inappropriate behavior facilitated by the consumption of alcohol.
—Amarachi Orie, CNN Money, 14 Jan. 2026
Labour is coming for the fintech companies that enable these predatory sites in the first place.
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 12 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for predatory
Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 20 Jan. 2026
These were large, flightless predatory birds that dominated parts of South America for tens of millions of years.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 17 Jan. 2026
Included in the investigations, which covered the period between 2018 and 2022, were reports of incidents involving the exposure of genitals, predatory behavior toward female service personnel by their male counterparts, and inappropriate behavior facilitated by the consumption of alcohol.
—Amarachi Orie, CNN Money, 14 Jan. 2026
Labour is coming for the fintech companies that enable these predatory sites in the first place.
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 12 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for predatory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for predatory
Adjective
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Under his leadership, the paper led a long and ultimately successful fight to end the rapacious practice of hydraulic mining that literally destroyed mountains and ruined Central Valley watersheds.—
Seán McMahon,
Sacbee.com,
23 Jan. 2026
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Heaving on the shore after nearly being taken under the rapacious waves, Byrne is released from a moribund procession of sound and light.—
Angelica Jade Bastién,
Vulture,
19 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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Some of the city's narrow streets fell victim to the aggressive snow totals, leaving residents with little wiggle room to get around it.—
Andrew Ramos,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
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The agency’s aggressive tactics this past year – especially when agents make their presence known in public areas in or near an employer, such as a parking lot – have had a chilling effect on businesses in areas where ICE has been operating.—
Jeanne Sahadi,
CNN Money,
27 Jan. 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
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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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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
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Damsel bugs are slender and tan-colored and have slightly raptorial front legs.—
Rita Perwich,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
1 July 2023
Adjective
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Martinez and another man were charged in October with assault with a deadly weapon, accused of following the agents' vehicles and initiating the collision with Exum's SUV that led to the shooting on Chicago's south side.—
James Hill,
ABC News,
27 Jan. 2026
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The January 29, 2025, collision was the deadliest commercial aviation accident in the United States in the last 16 years.—
Alexandra Skores,
CNN Money,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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What Lee did not anticipate was the iron resolve, the ferocious tenacity, of the Union defenders.—
Jamelle Bouie,
Mercury News,
29 Jan. 2026
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But nobody is just strong and ferocious, and nobody is just a saint.—
Marta Balaga,
Variety,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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China is home to the largest population of wild snow leopards in the world, according to the Snow Leopard Trust, with the country harboring the majority of the global population.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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The Lakers were swept by Chicago in their two-game series last season, including a wild 119-117 loss at the United Center on Josh Giddey's half-court shot at the buzzer.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Sons of Anarchy was praised for its stellar writing, operatic plotting, and cast of actors who breathed vivid life into their characters, giving even the most savage moments a dose of humanity.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 Jan. 2026
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This league is a savage league.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
22 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Predatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/predatory. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.
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