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
Stephanie has vilified predatory slot-machine operators and is opposed to prop bets, which provide opportunities to bet on an individual play or a player statistic.
—
Jasper Craven, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
To this very day, Europe, home to the third-largest economy in the world (albeit very nearly the size of China’s), depends on the United States to protect it against a predatory Russia, which has a GDP the size of Italy’s.
—Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 23 Jan. 2026
The world, after trying in vain to placate its predatory hegemon, now seems to have started the hard work of rebalancing.
—Andreas Kluth, Twin Cities, 22 Jan. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for predatory
Jasper Craven, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
To this very day, Europe, home to the third-largest economy in the world (albeit very nearly the size of China’s), depends on the United States to protect it against a predatory Russia, which has a GDP the size of Italy’s.
—Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 23 Jan. 2026
The world, after trying in vain to placate its predatory hegemon, now seems to have started the hard work of rebalancing.
—Andreas Kluth, Twin Cities, 22 Jan. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for predatory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for predatory
Adjective
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By contrast, his second term looks rapacious.—
David D. Kirkpatrick,
New Yorker,
31 Jan. 2026
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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
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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The press was ferocious and organised, with the number of box entries and chances created being higher than any league performance this season.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
30 Jan. 2026
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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
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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Today Iranians are mourning thousands of their fellow citizens who were massacred during savage crackdowns on recent protests in Iran.—
Ramin Jahanbegloo,
Time,
3 Feb. 2026
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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
Cite this Entry
“Predatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/predatory. Accessed 10 Feb. 2026.
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