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 the Oakland Zoo on a recent sunny day, three golden grizzlies dug in the soft earth, looking for insects or small prey animals to eat.
—
Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 7 Apr. 2026
Some might also have eaten prey that had been contaminated.
—Kristen Monsell, Sun Sentinel, 7 Apr. 2026
And who knows — the Warriors might have won Sunday if Porziņģis hadn’t fallen prey to Alpren Sengun’s flopping.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 6 Apr. 2026
At this stage, the chicks are fed small bites of fish or other prey, and the parents’ saliva, which contains electrolytes and antibodies, helps give the eaglets a healthy start.
—Shafiq Najib, ABC News, 5 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for prey
Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 7 Apr. 2026
Some might also have eaten prey that had been contaminated.
—Kristen Monsell, Sun Sentinel, 7 Apr. 2026
And who knows — the Warriors might have won Sunday if Porziņģis hadn’t fallen prey to Alpren Sengun’s flopping.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 6 Apr. 2026
At this stage, the chicks are fed small bites of fish or other prey, and the parents’ saliva, which contains electrolytes and antibodies, helps give the eaglets a healthy start.
—Shafiq Najib, ABC News, 5 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for prey
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prey
Noun
-
Rusting quarries at the mouth of Azusa Canyon.—
Deputy Managing Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Built on a former quarry, there are rocky elevations to traipse up with amazing views of the city, including Sacre Couer in nearby Montmartre.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
One of the victims, a 36-year-old man, suffered multiple gunshots to his body and was pronounced dead at the scene.—
William Lee,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Apr. 2026
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The three other victims were taken to the hospital by private vehicle and later released, according to authorities.—
Doug Myers,
CBS News,
18 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Ultimately, the scammers appear to use their initial contractor targets as unsuspecting mules for the malware payload.—
Jessica Klein,
PC Magazine,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Iran's president, Masoud Pezeshkian, cited Israel's continued attacks on targets inside Lebanon as a primary source of tension as his country and the United States engaged in peace talks in Islamabad.—
NBC News,
NBC news,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
As in Gaza, the recent bombing of Lebanon has been indiscriminate, with unforgivable civilian casualties.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
17 Apr. 2026
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The crash occurred in the larger Indonesian portion of the island, but the AP confirmed that one of the casualties was Malaysian.—
Adam England,
PEOPLE,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Prey.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prey. Accessed 18 Apr. 2026.
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