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
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Recent Examples of prey
Known for his dedication to concocting some overly detailed and violent traps for his prey, Wile E. Coyote has had more than his share of epic fails over the years.
—
Lynnette Nicholas, Parents, 15 Jan. 2025
As the fires continue to threaten the region, Felecia Wellington Radel reports, Americans looking for ways to help those affected could be prey for cyber criminals trying to take advantage of the crisis.
—Daniel De Visé, USA TODAY, 13 Jan. 2025
In the standoff that follows, Two Moons proves invaluable in holding off Virgil’s men, who resort to attempting to smoke out their prey.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2025
Spitting cobras can shoot venom into their prey’s eyes from up to five meters away, or about 16 feet.
—Brian Otieno, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for prey 
Lynnette Nicholas, Parents, 15 Jan. 2025
As the fires continue to threaten the region, Felecia Wellington Radel reports, Americans looking for ways to help those affected could be prey for cyber criminals trying to take advantage of the crisis.
—Daniel De Visé, USA TODAY, 13 Jan. 2025
In the standoff that follows, Two Moons proves invaluable in holding off Virgil’s men, who resort to attempting to smoke out their prey.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2025
Spitting cobras can shoot venom into their prey’s eyes from up to five meters away, or about 16 feet.
—Brian Otieno, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for prey
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prey
Noun
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But labor unions exist for workers in landscaping, farming, and quarry operations as well.—
Richard Bishop,
Forbes,
16 Jan. 2025
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Photo by Rob O’Neal Discover an oasis at a former quarry One of the refuge’s biggest attractions, just a quarter mile down Key Deer Boulevard from the Mannillo and Watson Nature Trails, is the Blue Hole Observation Platform.—
Terry Ward,
AFAR Media,
16 Jan. 2025
Noun
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In her victim impact statement, the woman recalled how, after her and her boyfriend were ambushed and robbed in their parking garage, she was hit in the face with a gun, according to court documents.—
Julia Marnin,
Miami Herald,
27 Jan. 2025
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One of my personal concerns is the tendency, particularly in Germany, to focus too much in films on the perpetrators, not the victims, like in Downfall or the recent Wannsee Conference adaptation.—
Scott Roxborough,
The Hollywood Reporter,
27 Jan. 2025
Noun
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His primary target is Vincent, a former criminal whose son Rocco (Lewis Pullman) murdered Leftie’s son Jonathan.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
29 Jan. 2025
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This site was one of countless weapons of harassment used by the federal government to make life impossible for its targets from J6.—
Jonathan Granoff,
Newsweek,
29 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Russia also struck Ukraine’s eastern Kharkiv region with drones causing casualties and damage, local authorities said Saturday.—
SAMYA KULLAB,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Jan. 2025
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Analyst Mariana Perez Mora said the pick is somewhat contrarian given that investors see the company, which is involved in modernizing the federal government’s information technology systems, as a potential casualty of DOGE’s cuts.—
Brian Evans,
CNBC,
24 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near prey
Cite this Entry
“Prey.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prey. Accessed 1 Feb. 2025.
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