1
as in shrews
a bad-tempered scolding woman
in fairy tales stepmothers are often portrayed as harpies who make the lives of their stepchildren miserable
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2
as in predators
a person who habitually preys upon others
having just started to make it really big in the music business, he found himself surrounded by a flock of harpies greedy for a piece of the action
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Recent Examples of harpies
Think a front desk hewn from Dionysos marble and sconces in the shape of harpies.
—
Sam Cochran, Architectural Digest, 11 Aug. 2025
Sam Cochran, Architectural Digest, 11 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harpies
Noun
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In animal studies, TDN helped obese mice and musk shrews lose weight and become more responsive to insulin.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Aug. 2025
Noun
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As apex predators, wolves play an important role in healthy ecosystems, said Christine Barton, executive director of the California Wolf Center.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
18 Sep. 2025
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Traders can execute large positions without revealing their size, entry points, or liquidation levels to potential predators.—
Boaz Sobrado,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
Noun
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All 500-year-old vampires will be able to watch Talamasca on their television sets in linear fashion on AMC.—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
5 Sep. 2025
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In the two minute trailer (below), the death of someone close to a secret society charged with monitoring the world’s immortals, including witches and vampires, prompts the group to seek out a new recruit in the form of a young unsuspecting man, Guy Anatole (Nicholas Denton).—
Abbey White,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
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This configuration produces tilted stroke planes, much like those seen in geese, vultures, and kingfishers during slow flight.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
18 Sep. 2025
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One of vultures in a barren tree.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
15 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Harpies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harpies. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
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