prowl

1 of 2

verb

ˈprau̇(-ə)l 

prowled; prowling; prowls

intransitive verb

: to move about or wander stealthily in or as if in search of prey

transitive verb

: to roam over in a predatory manner

prowl

2 of 2

noun

: an act or instance of prowling

Phrases

on the prowl

: in the act of prowling

also : in search of something

his fourth wife had just left him, and he was on the prowl again

—Mary McCarthy

Examples of prowl in a Sentence

Verb

a tiger prowling in the jungle

He moved like a tiger prowling the jungle.

The police were prowling the streets in their patrol cars.

He liked to prowl the streets late at night.

I prowled the store looking for sales.

I prowled through the store looking for sales.

Noun

a prowl through the bookshop

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Kevin Willard prowled the sideline with his usual piercing gaze, red tie catching the eye as his Maryland men’s basketball team went toe-to-toe with No. 1 seed Florida in the Sweet 16. —Childs Walker, Baltimore Sun, 28 Mar. 2025

Though many ticket touts and scammers prowl social media, so far, no fans have been scammed using this system, which has played a part in the account gaining trust within the community, Richards says. —Kari McMahon, Billboard, 6 Dec. 2024

Noun

His insatiable appetite for worlds comes out of an elemental necessity to ingest fertile planets for sustenance and to maintain balance in the cosmos, forever on the prowl in his world ship, the Taa II. —Jeff Spry, Space.com, 12 Mar. 2025

Simon Rex also stars in the film, which is set on Halloween night inside a costume store where a group of people are stuck and a killer is on the prowl. —Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 17 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English prollen

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun

1803, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing prowl

• on the prowl
• prowl car

Rhymes for prowl

• foul
• foule
• fowl
• growl
• howl
• jowl
• owl
• scowl
• afoul
• wildfowl
• waterfowl

Kids Definition

prowl

verb

ˈprau̇(ə)l

1

: to move about or wander in a secretive manner in or as if in search of prey

2

: to roam over like a wild beast

prowl the streets

prowl noun

prowler noun