as in predatory
living by killing and eating other animals
the place of raptorial birds in the park's ecosystem
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Recent Examples of raptorial
In essence, the shrimp stores elastic energy inside the specialized raptorial limb, and a latch holds the limb in place while the muscles continue loading tension.
—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
10 May 2026
The front pair of legs is raptorial, meaning they are used for catching and grasping prey.
—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
22 Apr. 2026
Villegas pushed for the original measure after dangerous speeding and red-light running by raptorial tow drivers ended in a nearly catastrophic crash in his ward that saw a bus that had been hit by a tow truck plow through a storefront.
—
Jake Sheridan,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Apr. 2025
Damsel bugs are slender and tan-colored and have slightly raptorial front legs.
—
Rita Perwich,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
1 July 2023
Massively Powerful Predators Mantis shrimps’ raptorial appendages contain massive muscles that can extend them to their full length in hundredths of a second, producing strike forces that in some species can smash through the glass wall of an aquarium or instantly dismember a crab.
—
Thomas Cronin, University Of Maryland,
Discover Magazine,
3 Aug. 2018
Like its adult counterparts, the little arthropod had a spiny raptorial appendage used for grasping prey and the radiodontan’s characteristic circular mouth filled with sharp teeth.
—
Brigit Katz,
Smithsonian,
11 June 2018
Detailed testimonies of refugees along the Balkan route therefore challenge the conventional wisdom that officials tend to protect them from raptorial smugglers.
—
Max Abrahms,
Foreign Affairs,
22 Mar. 2017
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
10 May 2026
The front pair of legs is raptorial, meaning they are used for catching and grasping prey.
—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
22 Apr. 2026
Villegas pushed for the original measure after dangerous speeding and red-light running by raptorial tow drivers ended in a nearly catastrophic crash in his ward that saw a bus that had been hit by a tow truck plow through a storefront.
—
Jake Sheridan,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Apr. 2025
Damsel bugs are slender and tan-colored and have slightly raptorial front legs.
—
Rita Perwich,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
1 July 2023
Massively Powerful Predators Mantis shrimps’ raptorial appendages contain massive muscles that can extend them to their full length in hundredths of a second, producing strike forces that in some species can smash through the glass wall of an aquarium or instantly dismember a crab.
—
Thomas Cronin, University Of Maryland,
Discover Magazine,
3 Aug. 2018
Like its adult counterparts, the little arthropod had a spiny raptorial appendage used for grasping prey and the radiodontan’s characteristic circular mouth filled with sharp teeth.
—
Brigit Katz,
Smithsonian,
11 June 2018
Detailed testimonies of refugees along the Balkan route therefore challenge the conventional wisdom that officials tend to protect them from raptorial smugglers.
—
Max Abrahms,
Foreign Affairs,
22 Mar. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for raptorial
predatory
Adjective
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Uber argued that the attorneys were trying to line their pockets by forcing car-accident victims into predatory relationships with medical providers, while the attorneys accused the rideshare giant of trying to escape accountability by rewriting civil liability laws.
-
More energy devoted to passing laws to protect consumers from predatory businesses and to erecting guardrails to prevent artificial intelligence companies from collecting and selling our data for private gain.
Cite this Entry
“Raptorial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/raptorial. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
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