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
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of prey
But the latest release from Shudder and Independent Film Company — a witchy satire starring Lili Reinhart, Victoria Pedretti, Lola Tung, and Alexandra Shipp, set inside an ethereal Texas shopping mall — just fell prey to a familiar marketing ploy.
—
Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 31 Mar. 2026
The young man makes up for his size (5-foot-10) between the pipes by pouncing the way a mountain lion pounces on wounded prey.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 30 Mar. 2026
Cybersecurity stocks have plummeted over the last few months as the software sector falls prey to the narrative that new AI tools will upend their longstanding business models and automate tasks.
—Samantha Subin, CNBC, 30 Mar. 2026
Spawning walleyes move into the graveled shallows in spring and become easy prey for a spearman with a light.
—Dave Duffey, Outdoor Life, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for prey
Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 31 Mar. 2026
The young man makes up for his size (5-foot-10) between the pipes by pouncing the way a mountain lion pounces on wounded prey.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 30 Mar. 2026
Cybersecurity stocks have plummeted over the last few months as the software sector falls prey to the narrative that new AI tools will upend their longstanding business models and automate tasks.
—Samantha Subin, CNBC, 30 Mar. 2026
Spawning walleyes move into the graveled shallows in spring and become easy prey for a spearman with a light.
—Dave Duffey, Outdoor Life, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for prey
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prey
Noun
-
Occasionally the focus drops to the fishermen’s crustacean quarry in the deep, also guarded and unhurried but intensely vulnerable; the man-lobster parallel isn’t stretched to the point of contrivance, but the film takes a thoughtfully holistic view of all the region’s living inhabitants.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
24 Mar. 2026
-
The quarry was fascinating and diverse.—
Thor Christensen,
Dallas Morning News,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Both victims were under age 5 at the time of the crime, according to the statement.—
Lillie Davidson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Police say identifying additional victims or witnesses will be critical as the investigation continues.—
Jamie Leary,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Some notable celebrity targets include Anthony Edwards, Terrance Crawford, Keith Lee, Kai Cenat and many more.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Operationally, Dark Eagle is built to strike high-value targets in contested environments.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The warning calls mostly prevented serious casualties.—
Zayd Ayers Dohrn,
New Yorker,
28 Mar. 2026
-
According to the group, there have been 1,492 civilian casualties since the launch of the war.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
28 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Prey.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prey. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
