PRIES Synonyms: 74 Similar and Opposite Words

pries 1 of 2

verb (1)

present tense third-person singular of pry

as in pulls

to raise, move, or pull apart with or as if with a lever it took some effort to pry up the trap door

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in plucks

to draw out by force or with effort a vain attempt to pry the cork out of a wine bottle

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

pries

2 of 2

verb (2)

present tense third-person singular of pry

as in interferes

to interest oneself in what is not one's concern don't go prying into other people's business

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of pries

Verb

There are swooping close encounters with heavenly bodies, Lego blocks in antigravity mode and swarms of Separators, a sort of astro-anthropomorphic version of the tool that pries apart Lego bricks in real life. — Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Feb. 2026 The show’s biggest laugh may come when Testa pries open Costanzo’s mouth and pronounces just how many performances of Norma Galas has left. — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2025 Could this be the year Johannesburg pries visitors away from Cape Town with a cool new city hotel and a dynamic dining scene, or when sunseekers take another look at Mauritius instead of the Maldives? — Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Nov. 2023

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pries

Verb

Rising air pulls powerful winds toward the fire, while downdrafts punch gusts back to the surface.

— Thomas Adamson, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026
The kitchen has a glossy black island that pulls double duty as a casual dining spot; there’s also a formal dining room.

— Tori Latham, Robb Report, 29 July 2026

Definition of pulls

Verb

His torso and thighs grow eye-poppingly muscular beneath their skimpy fur-and-leather togs—a development that does not go unnoticed by a warrior named Red Hair, who plucks the young hunk from his post and tosses him into the prime time of the gladiator pit.

— Naomi Fry, New Yorker, 15 June 2026
But the emotional gravity of this offering's deeply personal, melancholic lyrical content plucks an undeniably profound chord that uniquely separates it from the rest of his work.

— Chris Barilla, PEOPLE, 29 May 2026

Definition of plucks

Verb

Here’s when to watch and how to catch the best views before bright moonlight interferes.

— Julia Gomez, USA Today, 1 July 2026
If Damascus interferes in Lebanon, sectarian violence could follow, as the Syrian military presence would likely be interpreted as direct opposition to Hezbollah’s Shiite fighters.

— Mireille Rebeiz, The Conversation, 18 June 2026

Definition of interferes

Verb

Space startup Interlune revealed a new technology that extracts 99% pure helium-3 from standard Grade A helium.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 21 July 2026
So instead of getting magnesium that has been smelted via the Pidgeon process, Lola extracts the stuff from seawater via electrolysis, powered by solar.

— Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 7 July 2026

Definition of extracts

Verb

As Hogi pokes a hole in this plot and shatters the industrial love complex we’ve been sold song after song, movie after movie, the workplace version of this unhealthy relationship presents a familiar parallel.

— Dr. Marcus Collins, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
Perched on a finger of land that pokes into Lebanon, Metula is usually crowded with tourists this time of year.

— Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 23 June 2026

Definition of pokes

Verb

Johnson yanks veterans' benefits package An effort to advance a package of VA benefits bills this morning on the House floor went down in flames – the latest in Speaker Mike Johnson's struggle to get Republicans on the same page.

— Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 16 July 2026
Like a false note on an out-of-tune piano, a clunky verb, a sentence without rhythm, yanks the reader out the flow of the work.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 19 May 2026

Definition of yanks

Verb

Ships, like airplanes, are designed with fluid dynamics in mind, and biofoul seriously messes that up.

— David Goldman, CNN Money, 23 June 2026
From pet hair to crumbs, this Shark handheld cordless vacuum cleaner can tackle messes large and small, thanks to strong suction and a self-cleaning brush that resists pet hair accumulation.

— BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 27 May 2026

Definition of messes

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“Pries.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pries. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of pries

verb (1)

verb (2)

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