prowler

noun

prowl·​er ˈprau̇-lər How to pronounce prowler (audio)
plural prowlers
: a person or animal that prowls
Within a few million years of this major turning point in Earth history, the seas were swarming with myriad forms of life, swimmers, prowlers, sedentary beasts, and burrowers.Roger Lewin
especially : a person who moves through an area or place in a quiet and stealthy way in order to commit a crime
There were reports of a prowler in the neighborhood.
He felt uneasy being out there by himself. No one ever walked in Linden Hills, and he didn't want to be mistaken for a prowler. Gloria Naylor
… she kills him with a shotgun, claiming that in the dark she mistook him for a prowler. Lawrence Eisenberg

Examples of prowler in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Massey, who had dealt with mental health issues, had called 911 to report a potential prowler. Maggie Vespa, NBC News, 2 Dec. 2024 Grayson, who was a Sangamon County sheriff’s deputy before he was fired and charged with murder, responded to a report of a prowler at Massey’s home July 6. Holly Yan, CNN, 27 July 2024 After midnight on July 6, Sonya Massey called 911 to report a prowler. Sarah Metz, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2024 The film's narrative structure plays out much like Friday the 13th (1980) as a horror/whodunit with the identity of the prowler remaining a secret until the end of the movie. Steven Thrash, EW.com, 19 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for prowler 

Word History

First Known Use

1519, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of prowler was in 1519

Dictionary Entries Near prowler

Cite this Entry

“Prowler.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prowler. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

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