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
The invasive ants are known to prey on other insects and are capable of displacing native ant species that are critical for seed dispersal, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
—
Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 11 June 2025
Federal prosecutors, who last month amended the original indictment, say the three brothers used their wealth and celebrity — and often drugs — to prey on and rape women, sometimes at their Manhattan apartments, other times after transporting them across state lines to Miami Beach.
—Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 10 June 2025
The Bender Family Murders Located along the Osage Trail, the Bender family appeared, by all accounts, to prey on travelers looking for food and shelter, according to local KCTV.
—Sean Neumann, People.com, 1 June 2025
The doc follows an aging shepherd who struggles to find a successor as bears prey on his flock, and a teenage boy who becomes obsessed with tracking the bears.
—Addie Morfoot, Variety, 2 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for prey on/upon
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Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 11 June 2025
Federal prosecutors, who last month amended the original indictment, say the three brothers used their wealth and celebrity — and often drugs — to prey on and rape women, sometimes at their Manhattan apartments, other times after transporting them across state lines to Miami Beach.
—Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 10 June 2025
The Bender Family Murders Located along the Osage Trail, the Bender family appeared, by all accounts, to prey on travelers looking for food and shelter, according to local KCTV.
—Sean Neumann, People.com, 1 June 2025
The doc follows an aging shepherd who struggles to find a successor as bears prey on his flock, and a teenage boy who becomes obsessed with tracking the bears.
—Addie Morfoot, Variety, 2 May 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 17 Jun. 2025.
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