prize 1 of 4

prize

2 of 4

adjective

prize

3 of 4

verb (1)

1
2
as in to pull
to raise, move, or pull apart with or as if with a lever trying to prize apart the jammed gears

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

prize

4 of 4

verb (2)

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun prize differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of prize are booty, loot, plunder, spoils, and spoil. While all these words mean "something taken from another by force or craft," prize applies to spoils captured on the high seas or territorial waters of the enemy.

the wartime right of seizing prizes at sea

Where would booty be a reasonable alternative to prize?

The meanings of booty and prize largely overlap; however, booty implies plunder to be shared among confederates.

thieves dividing up their booty

When would loot be a good substitute for prize?

While the synonyms loot and prize are close in meaning, loot applies especially to what is taken from victims of a catastrophe.

picked through the ruins for loot

When might plunder be a better fit than prize?

Although the words plunder and prize have much in common, plunder applies to what is taken not only in war but in robbery, banditry, grafting, or swindling.

a bootlegger's plunder

How do spoil and spoils relate to one another, in the sense of prize?

Spoil, more commonly spoils, applies to what belongs by right or custom to the victor in war or political contest.

the spoils of political victory

Examples of prize in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Since its founding in 1996, the group has discovered the last 18 Mersenne primes, with a $3,000 prize awarded to each lucky volunteer that has identified one. Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Oct. 2024 Take it from Gervase Peterson, who was also in pursuit of the season 1 cash prize. Raechal Shewfelt, EW.com, 23 Oct. 2024 Economist Tyler Cowen argues Vitalik Buterin, the founder of the Ethereum Ethereum +0.4% cryptocurrency network, deserves the prize. James Broughel, Forbes, 12 Oct. 2024 The prize has been withheld 19 times since 1901, including during both world wars. Mike Corder and Elena Becatoros, The Christian Science Monitor, 11 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for prize 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'prize.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Thesaurus Entries Near prize

Cite this Entry

“Prize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prize. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.

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