Definition of predatorynext
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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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 More energy devoted to passing laws to protect consumers from predatory businesses and to erecting guardrails to prevent artificial intelligence companies from collecting and selling our data for private gain. Matt Martin, Chicago Tribune, 19 June 2026 Silver and predatory birds aside, Silver and eagles aside, the shoe features a black leather and mesh region beneath the shroud with a red Jumpman. Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 18 June 2026 For generations, Americans have debated consumer protection through the lens of defective products, predatory lenders, unsafe food, and identity theft. Richard Fowler, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026 There’s an adolescent’s sense of menace and taboo in her work, too, which often revolves around predatory adults and the vulnerable young women who counterintuitively welcome their abuse. Emma Alpern, Vulture, 17 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for predatory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for predatory
Adjective
  • 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
  • Grey-zone tactics refer to a range of aggressive tactics that vary from navy ship patrols to drone flights, but fall short of direct combat.
    ABC News, ABC News, 22 June 2026
  • That will be decided in the coming hours, as the Heat remains in aggressive pursuit of a trade for Antetokounmpo.
    Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 22 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
  • At the same time, vaccination rates have declined, worrying experts that more people could become vulnerable to this potentially deadly but preventable infection.
    Faye Chiu, CNN Money, 23 June 2026
  • The suspect, who has not yet been identified by police, was arrested in connection with the deadly shooting of 22-year-old Nasir Majied on Friday, June 5.
    JT Moodee Lockman, CBS News, 23 June 2026
Adjective
  • Speaking of, Ross asked Janssen about the steamy bathhouse scene during which Xenia and Bond face off in an encounter that is both flirty and ferocious.
    Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 28 June 2026
  • In 2018, a blaze east of Athens moved with ferocious speed, killing more than 100 people.
    ABC News, ABC News, 26 June 2026
Adjective
  • The Shawano-Menominee Counties Health Department advised anyone bitten or scratched by a bat or other wild animal to promptly clean the wound with soap and water, then contact a physician or go to the emergency room.
    Kelli Arseneau, USA Today, 1 July 2026
  • And, speaking of wild, each team had a Max Muncy playing third base and batting seventh.
    Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2026
Adjective
  • The Yellow Death has disfigured the population, and soldiers in white-and-red tunics serve the savage Duke of Tviot.
    Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 30 June 2026
  • Josefowicz, in her decathlon of a performance, brought Ligeti’s savage discontinuities to the surface.
    Alex Ross, New Yorker, 29 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Predatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/predatory. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.

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