prey on/upon
phrasal verb
preyed on/upon; preying on/upon; preys on/upon
1
: to hunt and kill (something) for food
The wolves prey on small animals.
2
: to hurt, cheat, or steal from (someone)
criminals who prey on lonely elderly people
Examples of prey on/upon in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
But in many cases those killers are still out there, waiting to prey on other victims like her mother’s murderer did.
—
Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Apr. 2025
Even the immature stages, or tadpoles, of Cuban treefrogs prey on the tadpoles of native species.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 8 Apr. 2025
Quolls, in turn, prey on the toads—but often lose their lives in the process because of a toxin that the toads carry on their skin, pushing the little marsupial to the edge of extinction.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 7 Apr. 2025
Rats, pigs, dogs and ants prey on tortoise eggs and hatchlings in the wild, while donkeys, goats, cattle and invasive plants disrupt their habitat.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prey on/upon
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Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Apr. 2025
Even the immature stages, or tadpoles, of Cuban treefrogs prey on the tadpoles of native species.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 8 Apr. 2025
Quolls, in turn, prey on the toads—but often lose their lives in the process because of a toxin that the toads carry on their skin, pushing the little marsupial to the edge of extinction.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 7 Apr. 2025
Rats, pigs, dogs and ants prey on tortoise eggs and hatchlings in the wild, while donkeys, goats, cattle and invasive plants disrupt their habitat.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prey on/upon
Cite this Entry
“Prey on/upon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prey%20on%2Fupon. Accessed 18 Apr. 2025.
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