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
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 prey
British explorer Colonel Percy Fawcett, who wandered the Amazon for 22 years at the beginning of the 20th century before vanishing without a trace, wrote that the breath of the anaconda stupefied its prey.
—
Stanley Stewart, Travel + Leisure, 10 Jan. 2026
Bring in your bird feeders overnight to avoid attracting coyote prey.
—Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2026
Chris Lowe, director of the Shark Lab at California State University, Long Beach, said the rocky coastline near Lovers Point attracts sea lions, and seals also frequent offshore waters — both primary prey for great white sharks.
—Ryan MacAsero, Mercury News, 8 Jan. 2026
For thousands of years, hunters around the world have employed poison-tipped arrows to assist in taking down prey.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for prey
Stanley Stewart, Travel + Leisure, 10 Jan. 2026
Bring in your bird feeders overnight to avoid attracting coyote prey.
—Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2026
Chris Lowe, director of the Shark Lab at California State University, Long Beach, said the rocky coastline near Lovers Point attracts sea lions, and seals also frequent offshore waters — both primary prey for great white sharks.
—Ryan MacAsero, Mercury News, 8 Jan. 2026
For thousands of years, hunters around the world have employed poison-tipped arrows to assist in taking down prey.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for prey
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prey
Noun
-
Its quarries are concentrated in high-growth regions similar to MLM, where materials can’t be shipped in easily, giving the company local pricing power.—
Josh Brown,Sean Russo,
CNBC,
12 Jan. 2026
-
The cave is part of a quarry, where the first mandible was discovered in 1969.—
Stephanie Pappas,
Scientific American,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The parents of the victims said the boys met Busfield on the set of the Fox series, The Cleaning Lady, after Busfield joined as a director in season 2, according to the arrest warrant.—
Charna Flam,
PEOPLE,
14 Jan. 2026
-
Orange County has appropriated nearly $500 million to cover possible payouts to victims of the fire, and as of August had paid more than $39 million in settlements so far.—
Claire Wang,
Oc Register,
14 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Omar has been the target of many GOP attacks in recent years.—
Lauren Green,
The Washington Examiner,
8 Jan. 2026
-
When Israel launched the surprise war against Iran last summer, the depth of its infiltration became evident when it was revealed that Israeli intelligence agents smuggled weapons into the country and used them to strike high-value targets from within Iranian territory.—
Mostafa Salem,
CNN Money,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The premiere picked up 10 months after the events of Season 1, during which a mass casualty event unfolded in the final episodes.—
Alli Rosenbloom,
CNN Money,
9 Jan. 2026
-
The hypersonic Oreshnik intermediate range ballistic missile hit Ukraine’s western Lviv region late Thursday night, although officials there did not mention any casualties.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Prey.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prey. Accessed 18 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
