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
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
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
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
Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2025
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for raptorial
predatory
Adjective
-
The images speak to the devastation wrought by oil addiction and war, echoing in the present as populist leaders like Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro threatens new conflicts over natural resources, eyeing Guyana's Essequibo region with predatory intent.—
Nicholas Creel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 July 2025
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There were also sightings of less predatory creatures, like capuchin monkeys and the guinea pig-like agouti.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
7 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Raptorial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/raptorial. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
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