pry 1 of 2

verb (1)

Definition of prynext
1
as in to pull
to raise, move, or pull apart with or as if with a lever it took some effort to pry up the trap door

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to yank
to draw out by force or with effort a vain attempt to pry the cork out of a wine bottle

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

pry

2 of 2

verb (2)

ˈprī How to pronounce pry (audio)
as in to interfere
to interest oneself in what is not one's concern don't go prying into other people's business

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pry
  1. pull
  2. yank
  3. interfere
  4. lift
  5. extract
  6. poke
  7. pluck
  8. mess
Verb
  • Disney pulled a series of strategic levers to get people through their park gates at a time when many are being choosy about how to spend their dollars, according to industry analysts.
    — Natasha Chen, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Another moment was marked by mourning, as a man was pulled from a building in the same city, lifeless and covered in a white blanket.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of pull
Verb
  • The officer is also seen putting a woman in a patrol car — the same woman who is shown on the ground having her hair yanked by an officer.
    — Marvin Hurst, CBS News, 7 Aug. 2026
  • This bestselling line of classic creepy characters is yanked straight from your best memories of Halloween as a child.
    — Kelsey Legg, ABC News, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of yank
Verb
  • But as China’s 2018 detention of two Canadian citizens after Canada arrested a Huawei executive showed, the party readily interferes in the legal system when important interests are at stake.
    — Mark Jia, Foreign Affairs, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Liv Morgan was caught trying to interfere in the match, which led to Perez’s disqualification.
    — Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of interfere
Verb
  • Wednesday’s game pits French champions and Champions League winners PSG against Premier League side Villa, who lifted the Europa League courtesy of a 3-0 win over Freiburg.
    — Dean Jones, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2026
  • He was then lifted for a pinch-hitter in the bottom of the seventh.
    — Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of lift
Verb
  • The fees that Levy was able to extract in part justified the policy.
    — Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 12 Aug. 2026
  • High outdoor temperatures require the grapes to be cooled before being gently pressed in stainless steel machines to extract the highest quality free-run juice, a crucial step in sparkling wine production that cannot be rushed.
    — Colleen Barry, Fortune, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of extract
Verb
  • Dike was waiting in the middle to poke it home, giving Orlando a 1-0 lead.
    — Kyle Foley, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Aug. 2026
  • But regardless of any lack of confidence in Hamas’ true intentions, in Mladenov’s faith in the ability to verify weapons decommissioning, or indeed Netanyahu’s own willingness to order any troop withdrawals, why poke Trump so publicly in the eye?
    — Andrew Carey, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of poke
Verb
  • Doubs plucked the ball over Gonzalez, who had successfully backed him near the boundary but couldn’t box out the 6-foot-2 receiver entirely.
    — Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 10 Aug. 2026
  • This machine will actually press the strings down between frets and pluck those strings in time, like a human guitarist.
    — Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of pluck
Verb
  • Here’s how to bring flowers from your cutting garden indoors while keeping insects and mess out.
    — Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Aug. 2026
  • The only way to mess this up is to not allow yourself the opportunity to touch it again and again and again.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 July 2026
Definition of mess
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

prurient
pry
prying
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Cite this Entry

“Pry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pry. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

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