prey on/upon

phrasal verb

preyed on/upon; preying on/upon; preys on/upon

: to hunt and kill (something) for food

The wolves prey on small animals.

: 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 There’s also an inherent class critique in Ripley’s ability to prey upon these privileged expatriates, the proverbial shark among minnows. —

Brian Lowry, CNN, 4 Apr. 2024 In one devastating episode, Tommyhawk, the 8-year-old son of the protagonist, is sucked into a world of news media reports which convince him that the adults around him are pedophiles who intend to prey upon him. —

Natasha Frost, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2024 Courtesy of Conservancy of Southwest Florida Burmese pythons are an invasive species in the U.S., normally native to Southeast Asia, and prey on over 72 different species of animals in Florida, said Conservancy wildlife biologist Ian Bartoszek. —

Mirna Alsharif, NBC News, 19 Mar. 2024 They’ve been known to scale or dig beneath fences to prey on pets. —

Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2024 Buyers might have unrealistic expectations for unscrupulous salespeople to prey upon. —

Kyle Russell, USA TODAY, 16 Mar. 2024 Coyotes may prey on the small mammals and birds attracted to a backyard bird feeder or garden. —

Jennifer Dixon, Detroit Free Press, 14 Mar. 2024 There is no reason this person should ever be set free again to prey on others. —

Greg Wehner, Fox News, 12 Mar. 2024 On land, birds, crabs, and small mammals prey on eggs and hatchlings. —

Jake Parks, Discover Magazine, 6 Mar. 2024

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.