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
Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 July 2025
The original Jurassic Park already provided plenty of material about science running amok, and the first Jurassic World was a cautionary tale about capitalism falling prey to its worst instincts.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 4 July 2025
Leaders trained in mental discipline are less likely to fall prey to confirmation bias or overconfidence.
—Gamini Hewawasam, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
These predators typically patrol altitudes below 10,000 feet, especially around dawn when their prey begins flying again after nighttime rest.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for prey
Noun
The teeth from the pterosaur Kligman and colleagues studied were worn down, indicating that the reptile was feeding on relatively hard prey.
—Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 July 2025
The original Jurassic Park already provided plenty of material about science running amok, and the first Jurassic World was a cautionary tale about capitalism falling prey to its worst instincts.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 4 July 2025
Leaders trained in mental discipline are less likely to fall prey to confirmation bias or overconfidence.
—Gamini Hewawasam, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
These predators typically patrol altitudes below 10,000 feet, especially around dawn when their prey begins flying again after nighttime rest.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for prey
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prey
Noun
-
The natural groundwater eventually seeped into the former quarry, creating a new lake that swallowed some of the buildings.—
Celia Fernandez,
CNBC,
13 July 2025
-
Rashad Jackson, 9, and Stephon Gardner, 26, were fishing at a rock quarry June 21 in Midfield when Jackson fell into the water, Midfield Mayor Gary Richardson said, WBRC reported.—
Natalie Demaree,
Miami Herald,
23 June 2025
Noun
-
The same region of Texas Hill Country where a flash flood on July 4 killed more than 130 people was hit again with downpours a week later, forcing searchers to temporarily pause their efforts to find missing victims.—
Jeremy Porter,
CBS News,
14 July 2025
-
And Singapore just passed an anti-scam law that allows law enforcement to freeze the bank accounts of scam victims.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
14 July 2025
Noun
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As things stand, Díaz could be the latest target Bayern fails to sign this summer.—
Manuel Veth,
Forbes.com,
15 July 2025
-
The business had also been the target of pro-Palestinian demonstrations in the past year.—
Rod McGuirk,
Sun Sentinel,
15 July 2025
Noun
-
Watson, 46, who as deputy criminal chief was serving in one of the office’s senior positions, became another casualty in President Donald Trump’s mission to purge anyone found to have worked in some way for special counsel Jack Smith.—
Jay Weaver
July 14,
Miami Herald,
14 July 2025
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The Battle of the Somme ground on for another four months, at the cost of more than a million British, French, and German casualties.—
Ed Caesar,
New Yorker,
13 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Prey.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prey. Accessed 24 Jul. 2025.
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