How to Use predatory in a Sentence

predatory

adjective
Definition of predatorynext
Synonyms for predatorynext
  • Hawks are predatory and may pose a danger to rabbits and other small pets.
  • The company made millions for investors but clearly engaged in predatory lending practices.
  • Liverpool were soon on level terms though, as Mane showed predatory instincts in the box to flick home Lovren's header to equalise.
    — SI.com, 26 May 2018
  • Hammerhead flatworms—so named for their weird, broad heads—are predatory critters that feast on earthworms and, sometimes, on one another.
    — Brigit Katz, Smithsonian, 26 May 2018
  • Ibrahim is credited for unearthing Spinosaurus, the largest predatory dinosaur discovered to date.
    — David Lindquist, Indianapolis Star, 6 June 2018
  • Since revelations that the social media giant failed to protect customer data from predatory third parties, the news cycle has moved on.
    — Bloomberg.com, 2 May 2018
  • In 2010, Wells Fargo agreed to settle a class-action lawsuit over the predatory lending practice.
    — Otis R. Taylor Jr., San Francisco Chronicle, 7 June 2018
  • Attracting these predatory birds to your yard by installing owl houses and reducing nighttime light pollution can keep snake populations in check and reduce rodent problems.
    — Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 13 Aug. 2024
  • Others who are in really dire straits might seek out a payday loan, but those are woefully predatory options — so much so that Google finally decided to ban those ads from lenders on its search engine.
    — refinery29.com, 7 June 2018
  • Those stories spawned the global #MeToo movement, and since then, the ground has shifted beneath men who for years benefited from a code of silence around their predatory behavior.
    — Author: Benjamin Mueller, Alan Feuer, Anchorage Daily News, 25 May 2018
  • From the predatory practices of heedless fishermen to the irresponsible waste disposal regimes that flood whale sharks’ bellies with garbage, there are many forces at play conspiring against the well-being of the species.
    — Ryan P. Smith, Smithsonian, 8 May 2018
  • The predatory fish made a meal out of the shark, swallowing it whole.
    — Marcy De Luna, Houston Chronicle, 18 July 2019
  • For me, the answer to that is wrapped up in the predatory nature of this business.
    — Matthew Jacobs, Vulture, 23 May 2023
  • There’s small fish, not bigger than a grain of rice, all the way up to your large predatory fish, tiger sharks.
    — Laura Klairmont, CNN, 21 Apr. 2023
  • These predatory fish can be found in freestone creeks, big rivers, and large lakes.
    — Max Inchausti, Field & Stream, 22 May 2024
  • I’ts not just the predatory European men the children have to look out for.
    — Leslie Felperin, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 May 2022
  • Among the predatory insects that feed on aphids are several types of wasps.
    — Calvin Finch, ExpressNews.com, 2 Apr. 2020
  • Ctenophores are predatory sea creatures that live at widely varying depths across the world’s oceans.
    — Rudy Molinek, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 July 2024
  • He’s pissed off about food deserts and predatory chain restaurants and the culture that makes people crave those things at the expense of their own welfare.
    — Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 June 2023
  • The kind of predatory behavior and abuse that Dozier described happens all the time.
    — Carolyn Kellogg, latimes.com, 12 July 2019
  • Does that mean there is no longer any predatory behavior in this business?
    — Elizabeth A. Harris, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2020
  • The clip featured references to both Spears’ passion for dance and the predatory nature of paparazzi.
    — Kyle-Brandon Denis, Billboard, 1 Nov. 2023
  • In the run-up to the 2007 financial crisis, mortgage lenders issued predatory loans to people who couldn’t afford to pay them back.
    — Anjeanette Damon, ProPublica, 16 June 2023
  • Horror stories often involve monsters, and those predatory men are among the ugliest in the book.
    — BostonGlobe.com, 4 Oct. 2019
  • Vultures, in the popular mind, are predatory birds that seek out the carcasses of animals that have died.
    — Martin Weil, Washington Post, 18 Sep. 2019
  • The move is the latest attempt by the ticketing giant to combat the predatory secondary market.
    — Jem Aswad, Variety, 22 Sep. 2023
  • Great white sharks can grow up to 20-feet long and weigh up to 2.5 tons, making them the largest predatory fish to roam the sea, according to National Geographic.
    — Jennifer Earl, Fox News, 24 Aug. 2018
  • Pociu said the types of fish being tested include smallmouth bass, which is a predatory game fish, and white suckers, a bottom feeder.
    — Gregory B. Hladky, courant.com, 13 July 2019
  • The unbanked are more vulnerable to predatory lending practices and their cash is more at risk, financial experts say.
    — Genna Contino, CNBC, 2 Aug. 2024
  • The book was brutally honest and went in-depth regarding her relationships with ex-boyfriend Justin Timberlake and her family, chronicling the predatory nature of those around her in an attempt to control her life.
    — Angelique Jackson, Variety, 1 Aug. 2024

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

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