1
as in curious
interested in what is not one's own business
as we moved into our new home, we could sense that there were prying eyes watching us
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in busy
thrusting oneself where one is not welcome or invited
prying neighbors who refuse to mind their own business
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in questioning
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in pulling
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
2
as in yanking
to draw out by force or with effort
a vain attempt to pry the cork out of a wine bottle
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as in interfering
to interest oneself in what is not one's concern
don't go prying into other people's business
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of prying
Nicholas Ivor Martin and Jacobina Martin, oregonlive, 4 Feb. 2023
But inquiring into the specifics of familial dynamics is impudent and prying — and a line of questioning that most people would be happy to avoid answering themselves.
—Jacobina Martin, Washington Post, 4 Feb. 2023
The Google Nest Hub (7/10, WIRED Recommends) is a great smart display with no camera (and therefore no risk of unwanted prying eyes).
—Brenda Stolyar and Medea Giordano, WIRED, 28 Nov. 2022
To my mind, however, there’s a difference between a Google or a Facebook, which provide valuable services in return for their prying eyes, and an app that serves a single, ostensibly benign purpose — parking validation.
—Los Angeles Times, 12 Nov. 2021
Carry two phones While anti-spy software may be effective in staving off the prying eyes of the Chinese government, not everyone knows how to install it.
—Jane Li, Quartz, 6 Aug. 2019
Its purpose: to train librarians to implement secure protocols on their own web services, and to teach members of the community to evade the prying eyes of governments, corporations, and criminal hackers.
—Eoin O'Carroll, The Christian Science Monitor, 18 Oct. 2017
One reason Russians have loaded up on passports is that Cypriot citizenship helps them avoid the prying eyes of their government and pay lower taxes.
—Yalman Onaran, Bloomberg.com, 11 May 2017
Adjective
But inquiring into the specifics of familial dynamics is impudent and prying -- and a line of questioning that most people would be happy to avoid answering themselves.
—Nicholas Ivor Martin and Jacobina Martin, oregonlive, 4 Feb. 2023
But inquiring into the specifics of familial dynamics is impudent and prying — and a line of questioning that most people would be happy to avoid answering themselves.
—Jacobina Martin, Washington Post, 4 Feb. 2023
The Google Nest Hub (7/10, WIRED Recommends) is a great smart display with no camera (and therefore no risk of unwanted prying eyes).
—Brenda Stolyar and Medea Giordano, WIRED, 28 Nov. 2022
To my mind, however, there’s a difference between a Google or a Facebook, which provide valuable services in return for their prying eyes, and an app that serves a single, ostensibly benign purpose — parking validation.
—Los Angeles Times, 12 Nov. 2021
Carry two phones While anti-spy software may be effective in staving off the prying eyes of the Chinese government, not everyone knows how to install it.
—Jane Li, Quartz, 6 Aug. 2019
Its purpose: to train librarians to implement secure protocols on their own web services, and to teach members of the community to evade the prying eyes of governments, corporations, and criminal hackers.
—Eoin O'Carroll, The Christian Science Monitor, 18 Oct. 2017
One reason Russians have loaded up on passports is that Cypriot citizenship helps them avoid the prying eyes of their government and pay lower taxes.
—Yalman Onaran, Bloomberg.com, 11 May 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prying
Adjective
-
Every curious kid in the family should have no problem seeing themselves in the inquisitive bunny rabbit Elinor and her friends Olive the elephant and Ari the bat.—
DeVonne Goode,
Parents,
24 Apr. 2025
-
As Roku continues seeking new ways to appeal to advertisers, watchful eyes are curious to see how much Roku will open the door to ad formats that could be viewed as intrusive.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Check-in is seamless, but the hotel has only six parking spots and availability may be limited, especially on busy weekends, so plan to park across or down the street just in case.—
Katie Kelly Bell,
Forbes.com,
16 Apr. 2025
-
And while Christophe had been busy developing a national school system during his reign, under Boyer, and all subsequent presidents, such projects had to be put on hold.—
Marlene L. Daut,
The Conversation,
16 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Elliot and Eli clash a little, first when the old man chides his son for not giving Becky a proper goodbye in the morning, second when El’s questioning of Eli’s field training officer results in Eli getting lightly hazed by his peers.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
24 Apr. 2025
-
One survivor was detained for investigation and remains in custody for further questioning.—
Melanie Lidman,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
An inquisitive crowd was lined up down the Leonard Street sidewalk, where performers dressed in rose gold dresses welcomed guests into the annual Tribeca Ball.—
Kristen Tauer,
Footwear News,
16 Apr. 2025
-
In the coming years, across sectors, curious and inquisitive individuals who demonstrate strong learning agility, and an ability to fuse human and machine skills will become top talent.—
Amanda Kavanagh | This Column was created by Jobbio,
The Hill,
4 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Russell Jones taunts investigators while alone in the interrogation room.—
Natalie Morales, Richard Fetzer,
CBS News,
19 Apr. 2025
-
But then the woman Bob slept with goes missing and new revelations in the decade-old Summers case send Sarah and Bob back into the interrogation room.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
16 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Of course, corporations and streaming viewers may have differing views of what's considered intrusive.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
24 Apr. 2025
-
Further complicating matters is that the intrusive moon will be 40% full.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
22 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The Treasury Department on Wednesday sent an inquiry to the IRS’s acting chief counsel, Andrew De Mello, asking the agency to rescind Harvard’s tax-exempt status, according to The Washington Post.—
Sarah Fortinsky,
The Hill,
17 Apr. 2025
-
While there have been a few inquiries, Iggy still hasn't found his forever home.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Politico broke the real-estate news by chatting with nosy neighbors and tracking data on the Meta CEO’s private jet.—
Adriane Quinlan,
Curbed,
3 Apr. 2025
-
Jenny encourages us to be nosy, which isn’t about gossip.—
Nirit Cohen,
Forbes.com,
3 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Prying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prying. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.
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