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
As for its behavior, Lopez says there’s a chance the swordfish was hunting, using its long bill as a means to stun its prey, making for an easier catch.
—
Paloma Chavez, Sacbee.com, 2 Sep. 2025
These differences, the authors posit in their recent publication, likely reflects a combination of temperature, foraging strategy, prey availability, and distance from shore.
—Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Great cornerbacks are football’s tawny owls, the biggest of the big-game hunters, dogging prey through darkness and chaos.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 31 Aug. 2025
This light, which the fireflies use to attract mates, acts as a lure for other prey.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prey
Paloma Chavez, Sacbee.com, 2 Sep. 2025
These differences, the authors posit in their recent publication, likely reflects a combination of temperature, foraging strategy, prey availability, and distance from shore.
—Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Great cornerbacks are football’s tawny owls, the biggest of the big-game hunters, dogging prey through darkness and chaos.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 31 Aug. 2025
This light, which the fireflies use to attract mates, acts as a lure for other prey.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prey
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prey
Noun
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McNally also played with the idea that the older man trying to catch Frank was, at least in this warped universe, a kind of surrogate father who developed genuine affection for his quarry.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Sep. 2025
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Sand is being shipped from a quarry in Palm Springs to San Clemente’s North Beach, a test case to see how the desert grains hold up at the shore.—
Laylan Connelly,
Oc Register,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The victims said the thief stole close to $60,000 in cash and dozens of checks that were inside the box.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
9 Sep. 2025
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The Cook County Medical Examiner's Office has identified the victim as Daniella Weisman from Glencoe, a spokesperson confirms to PEOPLE.—
Jillian Frankel,
PEOPLE,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Not in our communities, but protecting assets & high priority targets downtown so that our @Chicago_Police don’t have to babysit the Bean or Buckingham Fountain for eight hours a day.—
Terry Collins,
USA Today,
3 Sep. 2025
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The fear of becoming a target will often be enough to induce compliance in advance.—
Steve Chapman,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
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A number of foreign nationals are also among the casualties and injured, local officials said.—
Hannah Parry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Sep. 2025
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Russia needs men, and North Korea is possibly the only country that can afford in a political sense to send its own people to fight in a war that has been marked by an enormously high casualty rate on the Russian side.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
4 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Prey.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prey. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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