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
Sara Hashemi, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Mar. 2025
In the weeks following the outbreak of the war, when protests swept college campuses, some protesters fell prey to doxxing, with their personal information made public, leading to threats on their safety.
—Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Mar. 2025
Lures are used to catch fish in lakes, rivers and streams by mimicking natural prey.
—Mark Davis, Newsweek, 14 Mar. 2025
Its teeth are small and underdeveloped compared to other hyenas, an adaptation to its soft-bodied prey rather than chewy meals.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prey
Noun
Perhaps most disturbingly, the researchers detected a needle-like structure that the parasitic wasps might have used to deposit their eggs in or on their prey.
—Sara Hashemi, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Mar. 2025
In the weeks following the outbreak of the war, when protests swept college campuses, some protesters fell prey to doxxing, with their personal information made public, leading to threats on their safety.
—Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Mar. 2025
Lures are used to catch fish in lakes, rivers and streams by mimicking natural prey.
—Mark Davis, Newsweek, 14 Mar. 2025
Its teeth are small and underdeveloped compared to other hyenas, an adaptation to its soft-bodied prey rather than chewy meals.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prey
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prey
Noun
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Arizona police are investigating the death of a yoga teacher whose body was found last week at a rock quarry.—
Christine Pelisek,
People.com,
26 Mar. 2025
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The lab found that the quarry, located on the far west side of the zoo, was a key source of the stone used to build the Alamo Church and other historic buildings in the 1700s.—
Madalyn Mendoza,
Axios,
6 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Once identified, the kit dynamically loads a counterfeit login page tailored to that provider, often with the victim’s email address already filled in.—
Alex Vakulov,
Forbes.com,
28 Mar. 2025
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Preliminary investigation indicates there was an incident between people in the parking lot just before the victim was shot.—
Noelle Alviz-Gransee,
Kansas City Star,
27 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The sturdy build quality ensures durability against small knocks and bumps, which is important for something built with children as its target market.—
Tantse Walter,
Space.com,
9 Apr. 2025
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Recently, however, green-card holders convicted of minor crimes many years ago who previously were not targets have been detained, and the Trump administration is seeking to deport them.—
Albert Sun,
New York Times,
9 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Orenburg Governor Yevgeny Solntsev said that drones tried to target an airfield, but there were no casualties or destruction.—
Raja Krishnamoorthi,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Apr. 2025
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South Korea's National Intelligence Service said in March that North Korean forces had suffered around 5,000 casualties, according to the Yonhap news agency, South Korea's state media.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
8 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Prey.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prey. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.
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