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
This predatory cycle of exploitation ends here.
—
Adam Thompson, CBS News, 10 June 2026
As few large animals were present at that time, Praearcturus was free to become a predatory giant, according to the NYPost.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 7 June 2026
The Oregon Republican became a force in the Senate before his predatory behavior ended his political career.
—Laurence I. Barrett, Washington Post, 7 June 2026
Remember the predatory mortgage crisis.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 4 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for predatory
Adam Thompson, CBS News, 10 June 2026
As few large animals were present at that time, Praearcturus was free to become a predatory giant, according to the NYPost.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 7 June 2026
The Oregon Republican became a force in the Senate before his predatory behavior ended his political career.
—Laurence I. Barrett, Washington Post, 7 June 2026
Remember the predatory mortgage crisis.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 4 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for predatory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for predatory
Adjective
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Young women being preyed upon and seduced by rapacious Hollywood producers, stars and studio heads is a tired cliché, but like all clichés, it is based on reality.—
Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
6 June 2026
-
Not the timeless myths of rapacious, demonic women or saintly self-sacrificial mothers.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 May 2026
Adjective
-
That was a fun one, with both teams staying aggressive throughout the match.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
16 June 2026
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That more aggressive posture has been exemplified in Lewis George's smaller jousts with the mayor over housing and public safety policies, too.—
Phillip M. Bailey,
USA Today,
16 June 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
-
In essence, the shrimp stores elastic energy inside the specialized raptorial limb, and a latch holds the limb in place while the muscles continue loading tension.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
10 May 2026
-
The front pair of legs is raptorial, meaning they are used for catching and grasping prey.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
22 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Other fatal skydiving crashes in Missouri Sunday’s crash was at least the fourth deadly skydiving incident in Missouri since 1998.—
Ben Wheeler,
Kansas City Star,
16 June 2026
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Dennis Jacobs, the airport manager and director of Bates County Emergency Management, previously told USA TODAY that the incident was the deadliest crash in the airport's roughly 50-year history.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
16 June 2026
Adjective
-
It’s embedded in the lore of the city — the breakout pass, the bounding leap, the midair double clutch, the ferocious snarl.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
11 June 2026
-
The outcome caps one of California’s most ferocious congressional primaries, a contest that reflected the broader struggle between the Democratic Party’s moderate and progressive wings.—
Mathew Miranda
June 9,
Sacbee.com,
10 June 2026
Adjective
-
Though the Guardians have a share of first place with the White Sox and a three-game cushion over the Athletics in wild-card positioning, the club is about to weather some significant time without José Ramírez or Chase DeLauter.—
Stephen J. Nesbitt,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
-
Rosenthal and other salary cap critics point out that wild spending is no guarantee of success, and many clubs operating on a shoestring, like the Milwaukee Brewers, have found ways to win consistently.—
David Faris,
TheWeek,
15 June 2026
Adjective
-
Harron slyly transforms it into a savage social satire, using the narrator’s unreliable point of view to borderline absurdist effect.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 June 2026
-
What begins as a desperate family bonding trip rapidly devolves into savage violence and brutal psychological warfare.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Predatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/predatory. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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