plural prey also preys
preyed; preying
1
a
: to seize and devour prey
b
: to commit violence or robbery or fraud
2
: to have an injurious, destructive, or wasting effect
worry preyed upon his mind
3
: to make raids for the sake of booty
preyer
noun
Synonyms
Examples of prey in a Sentence
Noun
The lion stalked its prey.
The bird circled above looking for prey.
The seals are easy prey for sharks.
Too often elderly people are easy prey for swindlers and other criminals.
Verb
a fox has been preying on the chickens
Recent Examples on the Web
Lily Carey, Discover Magazine, 8 May 2024
One young primate, Noa (Owen Teague), shows sympathy to the prey in this visually stunning installment of the sci-fi franchise.
—Eric Andersson, Peoplemag, 4 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for prey 
Noun
The competition for resources was one of the main impacts researchers noticed, as dolphins from the new population ended up traveling north to hunt prey and avoid competition with the resident population.
—Lily Carey, Discover Magazine, 8 May 2024
One young primate, Noa (Owen Teague), shows sympathy to the prey in this visually stunning installment of the sci-fi franchise.
—Eric Andersson, Peoplemag, 4 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for prey
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'prey.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Prey.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prey. Accessed 16 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
prey
2 of 2 verb
preyed; preying
1
a
: to seize and eat something as prey
b
: to do violent or dishonest acts
robbers who preyed on travelers
2
: to have a harmful effect
fears that prey on the mind
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