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 But the lawlessness embodied in spheres-of-influence politics would most likely unleash an ever more frenzied scramble for the continent’s resources by predatory midsize powers. Comfort Ero, Time, 9 Jan. 2026 These suits frequently transfer millions from corporate balance sheets to predatory law firms, with little or no demonstrable benefit to investors. Shane Goodwin, Fortune, 8 Jan. 2026 Former Assemblymember Lorena Gonzalez, who now heads the California Labor Federation, recalled Limón’s uphill effort to pass a bill to stop predatory lending. Dakota Smith, Los Angeles Times, 4 Jan. 2026 Bardot further angered fans in 2018 by expressing no sympathy for her fellow performers who called out predatory men in the wake of #MeToo. Tim Grierson, Rolling Stone, 28 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for predatory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for predatory
Adjective
  • 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
  • The post-victory locker room video has become a centerpiece of this surprisingly uplifting Chicago Bears season, giving a rapacious fan base a glimpse behind the curtain.
    Jon Greenberg, New York Times, 17 Dec. 2025
Adjective
  • Anthony Bernon, 28, said Americans are becoming increasingly concerned about i the aggressive tactics being used by ICE and other federal agencies enforcing immigration policy.
    David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 13 Jan. 2026
  • Reports of Immigration and Customs Enforcement going door to door have circulated, and so too have videos alleging profiling based on race and ICE's apparent aggressive tactics.
    WCCO Staff, CBS News, 13 Jan. 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
  • 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
  • Damsel bugs are slender and tan-colored and have slightly raptorial front legs.
    Rita Perwich, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 July 2023
Adjective
  • The Burbank Police Department also shared a security camera video from the deadly shootout.
    Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 8 Jan. 2026
  • Rock jetties can be deadly in such conditions, stay off the rocks.
    CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • Public reaction to his fraudulence was ferocious.
    David Treuer, The Atlantic, 13 Jan. 2026
  • Maye did make his first ever NFL start last season against Houston, which has become known for having one of the most ferocious defenses in the league.
    Matt Schooley, CBS News, 12 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • But every point matters for the Sabres, and these 2 were enough to put them in the second wild-card spot based on points percentage.
    Matthew Fairburn, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
  • Those interviews can be conducted through wild-card weekend and are limited to three hours in length.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • This league is a savage league.
    Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 22 Dec. 2025
  • The fifth-place finisher also reveals the inspiration for her savage jury question to Savannah.
    Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Dec. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Predatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/predatory. Accessed 17 Jan. 2026.

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