prize 1 of 4

prize

2 of 4

adjective

prize

3 of 4

verb (1)

1
2
as in to pull
to raise, move, or pull apart with or as if with a lever trying to prize apart the jammed gears

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

prize

4 of 4

verb (2)

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun prize differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of prize are booty, loot, plunder, spoils, and spoil. While all these words mean "something taken from another by force or craft," prize applies to spoils captured on the high seas or territorial waters of the enemy.

the wartime right of seizing prizes at sea

Where would booty be a reasonable alternative to prize?

The meanings of booty and prize largely overlap; however, booty implies plunder to be shared among confederates.

thieves dividing up their booty

When would loot be a good substitute for prize?

While the synonyms loot and prize are close in meaning, loot applies especially to what is taken from victims of a catastrophe.

picked through the ruins for loot

When might plunder be a better fit than prize?

Although the words plunder and prize have much in common, plunder applies to what is taken not only in war but in robbery, banditry, grafting, or swindling.

a bootlegger's plunder

How do spoil and spoils relate to one another, in the sense of prize?

Spoil, more commonly spoils, applies to what belongs by right or custom to the victor in war or political contest.

the spoils of political victory

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 prize
Noun
The man from Pulaski County also had some luck — but his prize was 4,000 times bigger than his wife’s. Kate Linderman, Kansas City Star, 23 Apr. 2025 With their eyes on that prize, for this particular round of data analysis, Lokhov and his colleagues, including co-author Christoph Wiesinger, performed several technical overhauls to significantly improve the instrument’s capabilities. Gayoung Lee, Scientific American, 14 Apr. 2025
Verb
The federal government finances the country's debt by selling Treasury bills to investors, who prize the asset because of the country's sterling credit rating and its guarantee of making good on interest payments. Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 10 Apr. 2025 In an age when aerodynamics are prized, station wagons have a lot to offer. Erik Shilling, Robb Report, 9 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for prize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prize
Noun
  • Looting has been happening for centuries, but today’s criminals have turned to advanced technologies—including sonar, drones and underwater metal detectors—to pluck treasure from shipwrecks and other ancient sites beneath the Mediterranean Sea, per the AP.
    Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 Apr. 2025
  • Beachcombers and seashell hunters will appreciate the opportunity to find little treasures washed ashore.
    Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 17 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • His work has received dozens of national and regional awards.
    Laura Bauer, Kansas City Star, 19 Apr. 2025
  • While winning awards is prestigious, a single award may not translate to additional sales.
    Eileen Falkenberg-Hull, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Scott McKenna bossing the defence, Fabio Silva scoring goals for fun, Oli McBurnie bashing around and suddenly speaking excellent Spanish… this is a cause to believe in.
    Jack Lang, New York Times, 19 Apr. 2025
  • In a survey of more than 15,000 users after its rollout in 2024, 90% of respondents ranked their experience as excellent or above average.
    Rachel Barber, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Its national parks often steal the spotlight, but the Golden State's state parks are hidden gems that offer sights, experiences, and landscapes that rival their national counterparts.
    Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 27 Apr. 2025
  • After his Game 5 gem, Yamamoto was solid again in Game 4 of the NL Championship Series (4⅓ innings, two runs, eight strikeouts) and terrific in Game 2 of the World Series (6⅓ innings, one run, four strikeouts), serving as the backbone of a shorthanded, championship-winning pitching staff.
    Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 27 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Among Andor’s accolades were eight Emmy nominations and a Peabody Award.
    Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2025
  • Mark is an exceptional horse trainer with accolades like training Quarter Horse Race Stake winners and even polo horses for Polo Hall of Famer Bart Evans.
    Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 12 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Cancer, a disease that doesn’t discriminate and spares no one from its reach, has long been one of humanity’s greatest adversaries.
    Daniel Fusch, USA Today, 27 Apr. 2025
  • This is a great UFC Fight Night that will not disappoint; make sure to tune in and catch all the action.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Big Sur The crown jewel of any PCH trip, Big Sur stuns with its dramatic cliffs, redwoods, and turquoise waters.
    Amplified Content Studio, Mercury News, 22 Apr. 2025
  • Ah well, still the best Star Wars movie of the Disney-era, even if Andor remains the crown jewel.
    Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 19 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • And Giuseppe Trevisani, wonderful guy, is my favorite excuse of all.
    Domenico Starnone, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2025
  • Katy Perry reportedly sang ‘Its a wonderful world,’ Gayle King beamed in zero gravity, as Lauren Sánchez—pilot, philanthropist, and Jeff Bezos’s fiancée, led Blue Origin’s first all-female crew to the edge of space.
    Gemma Allen, Forbes.com, 20 Apr. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Prize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prize. Accessed 2 May. 2025.

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