prey on/upon
phrasal verb
preyed on/upon; preying on/upon; preys on/upon
1
: to hunt and kill (something) for food
The wolves prey on small animals.
2
: to hurt, cheat, or steal from (someone)
criminals who prey on lonely elderly people
Examples of prey on/upon in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
These predators and parasitoids prey upon a variety of small-bodied garden pests such as aphids,
whiteflies, insect eggs, and young caterpillars.
—
Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 15 Apr. 2025
These are mostly foreign fraud cartels that prey on unsuspecting clients throughout the world.
—Stephen Moore, Boston Herald, 10 Mar. 2025
Part of that is making informed decisions and pursuing justice against those who prey on vulnerable communities and use this deadly drug for profit.
—Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 17 Feb. 2025
But in many cases those killers are still out there, waiting to prey on other victims like her mother’s murderer did.
—Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prey on/upon
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Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 15 Apr. 2025
These are mostly foreign fraud cartels that prey on unsuspecting clients throughout the world.
—Stephen Moore, Boston Herald, 10 Mar. 2025
Part of that is making informed decisions and pursuing justice against those who prey on vulnerable communities and use this deadly drug for profit.
—Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 17 Feb. 2025
But in many cases those killers are still out there, waiting to prey on other victims like her mother’s murderer did.
—Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prey on/upon
Cite this Entry
“Prey on/upon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prey%20on%2Fupon. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.
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