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
Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 23 Feb. 2026
Nile monitors are carnivores that actively hunt vertebrate prey.
—Sergio Candido, CBS News, 23 Feb. 2026
Little boys dressed like a prey animal get treated like one.
—Literary Hub, 20 Feb. 2026
Furniture isn't the only aspect that fell prey to the overly matching concept, according to Bever.
—Lacey Ramburger, The Spruce, 19 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for prey
Noun
Those long legs and that light frame were functional adaptations for chasing prey on solid ground.
—Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 23 Feb. 2026
Nile monitors are carnivores that actively hunt vertebrate prey.
—Sergio Candido, CBS News, 23 Feb. 2026
Little boys dressed like a prey animal get treated like one.
—Literary Hub, 20 Feb. 2026
Furniture isn't the only aspect that fell prey to the overly matching concept, according to Bever.
—Lacey Ramburger, The Spruce, 19 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for prey
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prey
Noun
-
The research, published in the journal Nature, documents fossils collected between 2021 and 2024 from a single quarry measuring 12 meters high, 30 meters long and eight meters wide.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Han said that some species found in the Chinese quarry had previously been identified only at the Burgess Shale site.—
Hanna Wickes,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Rescuers continued to search for victims on the third day since the catastrophe began late Monday, causing floods, landslides, collapsed houses and shuttered schools.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Children ages 3 and younger were most often the victims of fatal child abuse in Illinois between 2015 and 2022, according to a sobering new report out of Northwestern University.—
Lisa Schencker,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The weekend attacks have caused travel chaos worldwide as airlines cancel flights through key Middle Eastern hubs that have become the target of Iranian retaliation for hosting US military bases.—
Laura Sharman,
CNN Money,
1 Mar. 2026
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Channel 12 reported that among the targets of the opening strikes were the homes of ministers and military heads, Defense and Intelligence Ministry installations, and a presidential facility.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
28 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The two sides have reported differing casualty figures.—
Sophia Saifi,
CNN Money,
27 Feb. 2026
-
The deaths and injuries were confirmed by Fadel Naeem, director of Al-Ahli Hospital, where the casualties arrived.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
27 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Prey.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prey. Accessed 4 Mar. 2026.
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