predated; predating; predates
: to prey on (something or someone)
Animals predate other animals in nature, but that is hardly commensurate with a massive worldwide farming industry that breeds species purely for our purpose.—
Jenny Diski
Jenny DiskiAre high-profile men that sexually predate women finally starting to lose immunity?—Alex McKinnon
Alex McKinnonAll cats may predate but those living indoors have little opportunity to do so.—Kevin Stafford
Kevin StaffordThere are many species that predate on pigeons and doves.—Revati
RevatiExamples of predate in a Sentence
Verb (1)
modes of transportation that predate the car
the native people who predated European settlers in America
Recent Examples on the Web
Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 15 Dec. 2025
The question of how Jews adhere to religious observances in space, however, is one that far predates Ramon's spaceflight.
—Josh Dinner, Space.com, 14 Dec. 2025
Only 32 percent of the city voted, in part because the regime had pre-vetted the candidates, purging older lawmakers from the ballots who had connections to the system that predated Beijing’s clampdown of the city in 2020.
—Timothy McLaughlin, The Atlantic, 13 Dec. 2025
Another might be that dolphins hang out with a resident pod of orcas for protection from transient orcas, some groups of which predate on dolphins.
—New Atlas, 12 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for predate
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Verb
Cramps aren’t a new issue for Peterson — even predating his KU preseason cramping issues.
—Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 15 Dec. 2025
The question of how Jews adhere to religious observances in space, however, is one that far predates Ramon's spaceflight.
—Josh Dinner, Space.com, 14 Dec. 2025
Only 32 percent of the city voted, in part because the regime had pre-vetted the candidates, purging older lawmakers from the ballots who had connections to the system that predated Beijing’s clampdown of the city in 2020.
—Timothy McLaughlin, The Atlantic, 13 Dec. 2025
Another might be that dolphins hang out with a resident pod of orcas for protection from transient orcas, some groups of which predate on dolphins.
—New Atlas, 12 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for predate
Cite this Entry
“Predate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/predate. Accessed 19 Dec. 2025.
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predate
verb
pre·date
(ˈ)prē-ˈdāt 
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