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
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
20 June 2026
The authors of the STAT article seem to have fallen prey to the same clickbait.
—
Torie Bosch,
STAT,
20 June 2026
Happily, Bonnie, for her part, doesn’t fall prey to an e-stalker, though she is subjected to some sneering group-chat abuse, which teaches her an important lesson about bullying, peer pressure, and the instability of online-only friendships.
—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
19 June 2026
Flatheads aren’t built for extended chases like their streamlined cousins, preferring instead to dart out from hiding and devour unwary prey.
—
Keith Sutton,
Outdoor Life,
18 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for prey
Noun
At night, vessels deploy powerful lights that can even be seen from space to attract squid, which are drawn in along with their prey.
—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
20 June 2026
The authors of the STAT article seem to have fallen prey to the same clickbait.
—
Torie Bosch,
STAT,
20 June 2026
Happily, Bonnie, for her part, doesn’t fall prey to an e-stalker, though she is subjected to some sneering group-chat abuse, which teaches her an important lesson about bullying, peer pressure, and the instability of online-only friendships.
—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
19 June 2026
Flatheads aren’t built for extended chases like their streamlined cousins, preferring instead to dart out from hiding and devour unwary prey.
—
Keith Sutton,
Outdoor Life,
18 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for prey
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prey
Noun
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Common to lakes, rivers, and blue holes in Texas Hill Country and Central Texas, clearer, bluer waters can most often be attributed to the abundance of natural deposits and quarries of limestone that are native to the area.
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But these construction materials did not come from a riverbed or a mountain quarry.
Noun
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Medics rushed the victim to a local hospital for treatment.
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Witnesses told police that the victim had called and reported that O’Neal had assaulted her, the witnesses told police.
Noun
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The Kerch road and rail crossing, opened by Putin in 2018, has been the target of previous Ukrainian attacks.
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The interceptor carries a small payload tailored for neutralizing drones and similar aerial targets while maintaining a compact and cost-effective design.
Noun
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Venezuela's building stock could be a significant factor in the scale of damage and casualties caused by the earthquakes.
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What happened The International Maritime Organization on Thursday paused a nascent effort to evacuate ships stranded in the Persian Gulf after Iran struck a cargo vessel, causing damage but no casualties, according to the ship’s owner.
Cite this Entry
“Prey.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prey. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
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