prey on/upon
phrasal verb
preyed on/upon; preying on/upon; preys on/upon
1
: to hunt and kill (something) for food
The wolves prey on small animals.
2
: to hurt, cheat, or steal from (someone)
criminals who prey on lonely elderly people
Examples of prey on/upon in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Under these circumstances, killer whales have been known to hunt and prey on moose.
—
Scott Travers, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2024
With a playful touch and a light choke, her work turns traditional notions of hunter and prey on their head.
—Francesca Aton, ARTnews.com, 18 Oct. 2024
Like romance scams, which prey on people’s desire for connection, these kinds of scams take place over a long period of time and begin with scammers creating a fake online persona and establishing an emotional relationship with a target via text, social media, or other messaging platforms.
—Melkorka Licea, Vox, 15 Oct. 2024
Together, co-hosts Scaachi Koul and Sarah Hagi shine a light on the grifters and con artists who prey on the worlds of social media, fashion, finance, health, and wellness.
—Spenser Mestel, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for prey on/upon 
Scott Travers, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2024
With a playful touch and a light choke, her work turns traditional notions of hunter and prey on their head.
—Francesca Aton, ARTnews.com, 18 Oct. 2024
Like romance scams, which prey on people’s desire for connection, these kinds of scams take place over a long period of time and begin with scammers creating a fake online persona and establishing an emotional relationship with a target via text, social media, or other messaging platforms.
—Melkorka Licea, Vox, 15 Oct. 2024
Together, co-hosts Scaachi Koul and Sarah Hagi shine a light on the grifters and con artists who prey on the worlds of social media, fashion, finance, health, and wellness.
—Spenser Mestel, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for prey on/upon
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'prey on/upon.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Prey on/upon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prey%20on%2Fupon. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.
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