How to Use predatory in a Sentence

predatory

adjective
Definition of predatorynext
Synonyms for predatorynext
  • Hawks are predatory and may pose a danger to rabbits and other small pets.
  • The company made millions for investors but clearly engaged in predatory lending practices.
  • The predatory fish made a meal out of the shark, swallowing it whole.
    — Marcy De Luna, Houston Chronicle, 18 July 2019
  • For me, the answer to that is wrapped up in the predatory nature of this business.
    — Matthew Jacobs, Vulture, 23 May 2023
  • There’s small fish, not bigger than a grain of rice, all the way up to your large predatory fish, tiger sharks.
    — Laura Klairmont, CNN, 21 Apr. 2023
  • When a predatory fish like a bass attacks the lure, the mussel fires its larvae in the dupe’s gills.
    — Matt Simon, WIRED, 16 Oct. 2015
  • These predatory fish can be found in freestone creeks, big rivers, and large lakes.
    — Max Inchausti, Field & Stream, 22 May 2024
  • I’ts not just the predatory European men the children have to look out for.
    — Leslie Felperin, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 May 2022
  • There is something very predatory about a 40-year-old man seeing a 20-year-old kid.
    — Amy Dickinson, Detroit Free Press, 4 Jan. 2018
  • Knoepfler has predicted the change will be a boon to predatory clinics.
    — Kelly Servick, Science | AAAS, 3 Aug. 2017
  • Among the predatory insects that feed on aphids are several types of wasps.
    — Calvin Finch, ExpressNews.com, 2 Apr. 2020
  • Its predatory side is subtly present in the whine of the supercharger and the rumble of exhaust.
    — Mark Maynard, sandiegouniontribune.com, 2 Feb. 2018
  • To believe that there are people out there that can be predatory to children, that in and of itself is painful to most people.
    — Max Londberg and Kaitlyn Schwers, kansascity, 14 Sep. 2017
  • Ctenophores are predatory sea creatures that live at widely varying depths across the world’s oceans.
    — Rudy Molinek, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 July 2024
  • One of the antics includes their attempt to get a payday loan as Katt Williams haunts them from the window, telling them of the dangers of predatory loans.
    — Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 24 Oct. 2024
  • Claims of predatory practices have dogged the industry for many years.
    — Tom Metcalf, Bloomberg.com, 4 May 2017
  • He’s pissed off about food deserts and predatory chain restaurants and the culture that makes people crave those things at the expense of their own welfare.
    — Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 June 2023
  • Yes, there are a few predatory men, and they should be punished with the full force of the law, but the real crisis on campus isn’t criminal.
    — David French, National Review, 17 July 2017
  • The kind of predatory behavior and abuse that Dozier described happens all the time.
    — Carolyn Kellogg, latimes.com, 12 July 2019
  • Liverpool were soon on level terms though, as Mane showed predatory instincts in the box to flick home Lovren's header to equalise.
    — SI.com, 26 May 2018
  • Does that mean there is no longer any predatory behavior in this business?
    — Elizabeth A. Harris, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2020
  • Empowered once again, the CFPB vowed to pursue predatory lenders and restart a dozen or so cases that stalled during the court fight.
    — Joel Jacobs, ProPublica, 23 Dec. 2024
  • The clip featured references to both Spears’ passion for dance and the predatory nature of paparazzi.
    — Kyle-Brandon Denis, Billboard, 1 Nov. 2023
  • Predatory lending Cleaver’s main focus in the final weeks of the year is the issue of predatory student loans.
    — Bryan Lowry, kansascity, 18 Dec. 2017
  • This keeps the hundred or so wild bettongs and other native wildlife safe from predatory foxes and cats.
    — National Geographic, 5 Apr. 2018
  • Her friends and family warned her about scams and predatory tactics.
    — Janelle Okwodu, Vogue, 3 Apr. 2018
  • After a century of colonial rule by Washington and decades of predatory debt from Wall Street, the bill has come due.
    — Juan González, The Intercept, 9 May 2017
  • Initially, the program foundered because a predatory snail had found its way there.
    — James Ewinger, cleveland.com, 22 May 2017
  • If anything, his regime grew more predatory, more rapacious, more violent in the past few years.
    — Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024
  • Some predatory lenders may charge a higher rate to borrowers using assistance programs, Ms. Kemp said.
    — Ann Carrns, New York Times, 17 Jan. 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'predatory.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Last Updated: