prey on

VERB

attack, terrorize

Synonyms

STRONGEST

bully devour exploit feed on fleece haunt intimidate oppress plunder take advantage of victimize

WEAK

blackmail bleed burden consume depredate distress eat hunt live off load raid seize tax trouble weigh worry

Antonyms

STRONGEST

aid assist give help

WEAK

guard protect save

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"Bustamante Leiva came to Washington illegally to prey on citizens of the district," Jeanine Pirro, US attorney for the District of Columbia, said in a statement.

From BBC • Apr. 22, 2026

Being pro-business doesn’t mean giving corporate bad actors a free pass to prey on the people who make their profits possible.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026

“We deal with violations regarding raptors and birds of prey on a relative frequency but I haven’t seen anything to this level of disregard for the animal in quite a while.”

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 25, 2026

Harriet also shared the 2023 Collier Prize for State Government Accountability for revealing corruption in California’s legal profession that enabled attorneys to prey on vulnerable clients.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 22, 2026

I squeeze my lids shut tight for a moment, to track her as I would prey on a hunt.

From "Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins

prey on

Example Sentences

Related Words