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
Preyed on the boys: Prosecutor Prosecutors portrayed Geilenfeld as a predator who used his powers to prey on the vulnerable Haitian boys, who came from broken families or had no parents.
—
Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 20 Feb. 2025
You’re virtually guaranteed to see gators, water fowl and birds of prey on your trip.
—Gqlshare, Orange County Register, 19 Feb. 2025
One concern is that people who may fear deportation would avoid reporting crimes like extortion and robbery, allowing thieves to prey upon them and remain on the streets.
—Michael Ruiz, Fox News, 8 Feb. 2025
This suggests the attack was devised to prey on users in Europe and Asia.
—Michael Kan, PCMAG, 6 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prey on/upon
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Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 20 Feb. 2025
You’re virtually guaranteed to see gators, water fowl and birds of prey on your trip.
—Gqlshare, Orange County Register, 19 Feb. 2025
One concern is that people who may fear deportation would avoid reporting crimes like extortion and robbery, allowing thieves to prey upon them and remain on the streets.
—Michael Ruiz, Fox News, 8 Feb. 2025
This suggests the attack was devised to prey on users in Europe and Asia.
—Michael Kan, PCMAG, 6 Feb. 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 3 Mar. 2025.
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