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
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Recent Examples of prey
The structural density of elephant cortical bone provided superior resilience during impact, explaining why ancient toolmakers preferred it over thinner, more brittle bones from smaller prey.
—
Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 21 Jan. 2026
Small dogs should always be kept on leash, as they can be perceived as prey.
—Lisa Bloch, Mercury News, 20 Jan. 2026
That’s likely due to habitat loss, unregulated hunting and lack of prey, among other factors.
—Adithi Ramakrishnan, Los Angeles Times, 20 Jan. 2026
Wolverines primarily scavenge carcasses in winter and prey on small mammals, such as pikas, in summer, earning them a reputation among biologists as a natural cleanup crew.
—Spencer Wilson, CBS News, 19 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for prey
Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 21 Jan. 2026
Small dogs should always be kept on leash, as they can be perceived as prey.
—Lisa Bloch, Mercury News, 20 Jan. 2026
That’s likely due to habitat loss, unregulated hunting and lack of prey, among other factors.
—Adithi Ramakrishnan, Los Angeles Times, 20 Jan. 2026
Wolverines primarily scavenge carcasses in winter and prey on small mammals, such as pikas, in summer, earning them a reputation among biologists as a natural cleanup crew.
—Spencer Wilson, CBS News, 19 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for prey
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prey
Noun
-
Law enforcement quickly identified Frederick Newhall Woods IV, then 24, as a person of interest in the case since his father owned the quarry.—
Chris Spargo,
PEOPLE,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Plans for a sand and gravel quarry on the site are now dead.—
Paul Rogers,
Mercury News,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Lawmakers complained when the Justice Department made only a limited release last month, but officials said more time was needed to review an additional trove of documents that was discovered and to scour the records to ensure no sensitive information about victims was inadvertently released.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
31 Jan. 2026
-
In the car, when Irvin briefly turned his attention away from the victim, the man reached for his own gun and shot Irvin three times in the head.—
Sam Charles,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
So are discarded fishing nets and all sorts of mesh that can stop a drone from hitting its target.—
Tim Lister,
CNN Money,
1 Feb. 2026
-
Kellogg’s high-growth snack business was much more viable as an acquisition target without the sluggish cereal division attached.—
Amelia Lucas,
CNBC,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
One approach to addressing casualty risks is to design spacecraft to demise entirely, but this exacerbates the atmosphere pollution problem, said Boley.—
Leonard David,
Space.com,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Another Israeli strike in central Gaza killed one Palestinian and wounded others, according to Al-Aqsa martyrs hospital, where the casualties were taken.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Prey.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prey. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026.
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