preyed (on or upon) 1 of 2

adjective

as in overcome

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preyed (on or upon)

2 of 2

verb

past tense of prey (on or upon)
as in fed (on, upon, or off)
to seize and eat (something) as prey a fox has been preying on the chickens

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for preyed (on or upon)
  1. overcome
  2. unarmed
  3. unsafe
Adjective
  • Sheffield is sticking to her campaign promise of helping Detroit's most vulnerable overcome homelessness.
    — Alysia Burgio, CBS News, 29 July 2026
  • With themes of resilience, victory, and joy as a healing balm, Joy in the Belly of a Riot is a beautiful manifestation of how poetry has the power to heal and help one overcome pain.
    — Lynnette Nicholas, Essence, 9 Oct. 2025
Definition of overcome
Adjective
  • The protests followed the police killing of Rayshard Brooks, an unarmed Black man, by a white Atlanta police officer.
    — Bill Barrow, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2026
  • The Attorney General’s Office investigates police deaths of unarmed people, but only from shootings.
    — Theresa Clift, Sacbee.com, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of unarmed
Adjective
  • Checking plans before execution The team also developed a defense system called PROTEA, designed to identify unsafe actions before a robot carries them out.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 21 Oct. 2026
  • The meat may have been stored in a refrigerator experiencing unsafe deviations in temperature.
    — Eva Flowe October 21, Charlotte Observer, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of unsafe
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.

Browse Nearby Words

prey
preyed (on or upon)
preying (on or upon)
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Cite this Entry

“Preyed (on or upon).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preyed%20%28on%20or%20upon%29. Accessed 30 Oct. 2026.

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