1
2
as in victim
a person or thing harmed, lost, or destroyed
he fell prey to nagging—but groundless—doubts about his wife's fidelity
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in target
a person or thing that is the object of abuse, criticism, or ridicule
that woman has a sharp tongue, and her favored prey is her long-suffering husband
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of prey
At night, vessels deploy powerful lights that can even be seen from space to attract squid, which are drawn in along with their prey.
—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
20 June 2026
The authors of the STAT article seem to have fallen prey to the same clickbait.
—
Torie Bosch,
STAT,
20 June 2026
Happily, Bonnie, for her part, doesn’t fall prey to an e-stalker, though she is subjected to some sneering group-chat abuse, which teaches her an important lesson about bullying, peer pressure, and the instability of online-only friendships.
—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
19 June 2026
Flatheads aren’t built for extended chases like their streamlined cousins, preferring instead to dart out from hiding and devour unwary prey.
—
Keith Sutton,
Outdoor Life,
18 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for prey
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
20 June 2026
The authors of the STAT article seem to have fallen prey to the same clickbait.
—
Torie Bosch,
STAT,
20 June 2026
Happily, Bonnie, for her part, doesn’t fall prey to an e-stalker, though she is subjected to some sneering group-chat abuse, which teaches her an important lesson about bullying, peer pressure, and the instability of online-only friendships.
—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
19 June 2026
Flatheads aren’t built for extended chases like their streamlined cousins, preferring instead to dart out from hiding and devour unwary prey.
—
Keith Sutton,
Outdoor Life,
18 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for prey
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prey
Noun
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Common to lakes, rivers, and blue holes in Texas Hill Country and Central Texas, clearer, bluer waters can most often be attributed to the abundance of natural deposits and quarries of limestone that are native to the area.
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But these construction materials did not come from a riverbed or a mountain quarry.
Noun
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Investigators determined the victim was Edgar Carlos Garcia, then 39, of Mexico, who died after sustaining fatal injuries during an altercation that took place inside the warehouse.
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The Israeli strikes killed five people around the town of Nabatieh in southern Lebanon, according to the official news agency NNA, and the army said a soldier was along the victims.
Noun
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The Kerch road and rail crossing, opened by Putin in 2018, has been the target of previous Ukrainian attacks.
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The interceptor carries a small payload tailored for neutralizing drones and similar aerial targets while maintaining a compact and cost-effective design.
Noun
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The Targaryen civil war has been a bit of a slow burn so far, though both sides of the family have suffered major casualties.
-
Pumphrey was one of 14 casualties from the Battle of Camden who were reburied in 2024.
Cite this Entry
“Prey.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prey. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
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