1
2
as in victim
a person or thing harmed, lost, or destroyed
he fell prey to nagging—but groundless—doubts about his wife's fidelity
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in target
a person or thing that is the object of abuse, criticism, or ridicule
that woman has a sharp tongue, and her favored prey is her long-suffering husband
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of prey
Scientists knew that the tiny ray spider can fling its web to snag prey out of the air rather than waiting for insects to fly into the silky strands.
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Ari Daniel, NPR, 6 Dec. 2024
Southern giant hornets are known to send out scouting teams to find prey colonies, and the scouts rub their bodies against hives or nearby vegetation to signal others to join them, according to research published in 2021.
—Randi Richardson, NBC News, 5 Dec. 2024
Researchers used this information to trace links between prey and predators—and how these changed over time.
—Alexa Robles-Gil, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Dec. 2024
The bacterial disease also impacted the ferret's main prey, Gunnison's prairie dogs, which damaged the entire ecosystem for the animals, in part leading to a decline of more than 100 ferrets in Arizona since the early 2000s.
—Rey Covarrubias Jr., The Arizona Republic, 1 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for prey 
Ari Daniel, NPR, 6 Dec. 2024
Southern giant hornets are known to send out scouting teams to find prey colonies, and the scouts rub their bodies against hives or nearby vegetation to signal others to join them, according to research published in 2021.
—Randi Richardson, NBC News, 5 Dec. 2024
Researchers used this information to trace links between prey and predators—and how these changed over time.
—Alexa Robles-Gil, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Dec. 2024
The bacterial disease also impacted the ferret's main prey, Gunnison's prairie dogs, which damaged the entire ecosystem for the animals, in part leading to a decline of more than 100 ferrets in Arizona since the early 2000s.
—Rey Covarrubias Jr., The Arizona Republic, 1 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for prey
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prey
Noun
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Upon conclusion of mining activity, the quarry would become a lake, according to the review.Mary Divine, Twin Cities, 29 Nov. 2024
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The tribes’ quarry has changed over the centuries as the wildlife has changed.Andrew Sharp, Outdoor Life, 27 Nov. 2024
Noun
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All these factors add up to create a particularly toxic mix for both victims of abuse and their abusers.Francesca Aton, ARTnews.com, 16 Dec. 2024
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Almost a year ago, David Alaba became a victim of the same knock and still hasn't returned to the pitch while others including Vinicius Jr. and Kylian Mbappe have been out for weeks at a time towards the end of the year.Tom Sanderson, Forbes, 16 Dec. 2024
Noun
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As of October, Japan hosted 2.05 million foreign workers, but the country must more than triple this number by 2040 to meet its economic growth targets, the government's Japan International Cooperation Agency has projected.Dan Perry, Newsweek, 18 Dec. 2024
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But the recent uptick has reversed some progress made at the start of this year that had landed price increases right near the Fed's target of 2%.Max Zahn, ABC News, 18 Dec. 2024
Noun
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However, with communications still down hours later and official updates limited, reports of casualties began emerging on social media and through intermittent phone calls.Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 17 Dec. 2024
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Advertisement The casualties occurred around three villages in Kursk, where Russia has for four months been trying to quash a Ukrainian incursion, the agency, known by its acronym GUR, said in a public post on the Telegram messaging app.Samya Kullab and Tara Copp, Los Angeles Times, 17 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near prey
Cite this Entry
“Prey.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prey. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
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