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
  • Achane’s replacement scored at the end of the third quarter pulled Miami within a score, making it 12-10 headed into the fourth quarter.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Like a matador swirling his cape, Patrick Roden-Reynolds pulled a swatch of white flannel this way and that on the grass and leaf litter in my yard.
    — Bob Drogin, Los Angeles Times, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of pull
Verb
  • Zabransky was the first person to reach Rabb in the end zone, yanking him into the air for a bear hug.
    — Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 3 Oct. 2026
  • There’s also an ending that revels in a form of catharsis — for the audience watching the play, not the movie — before yanking that, too, away.
    — David Mack, CNN Money, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of yank
Verb
  • The terms of the restraining order will bar Gupta and his gallery from interfering at all with Longcraft’s interest in the works.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 2 Oct. 2026
  • If a person interferes or one step fails, the system can adjust its plan and retry rather than requiring the entire task to be restarted.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of interfere
Verb
  • The technology that investors and governments are counting on to lift the global economy is also adding pressure that threatens growth, the head of the International Monetary Fund said, urging policymakers to stop delaying painful choices on debt.
    — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2026
  • From setting up special meals to just brightening days with smiles and genuine care, the staff here lift the already luxury experience to the next level.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of lift
Verb
  • Much of the fear stems from Paramount's pledge to extract more than $6 billion in annual synergies within three years of closing the merger.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 7 Oct. 2026
  • When Blue Cross Blue Shield recently published research suggesting that hospitals use artificial intelligence tools to extract more money from insurers without providing additional care, people were mad.
    — Leah Pierson, STAT, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of extract
Verb
  • From ceviche and poke to pasta and tacos, the menu revolves around the catch of the day, which is sourced from local markets.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Bellingham poked in Gordon's cross midway through the first half.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of poke
Verb
  • At their most basic, these may consist of just two elements, such as a stone and a sheet of raw steel—that is, an element plucked from the natural world and one of industrial manufacture.
    — Barry Schwabsky, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Rice and Schlittler were both raised among Red Sox fans in Massachusetts and went to college in New England before getting plucked by the Yankees out of Boston’s backyard in baseball’s amateur draft.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of pluck
Verb
  • That book really messed me up in the sense of nothing is promised.
    — Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Had a couple calls in here that messed it up a little bit, but that’s the game.
    — Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 27 Sep. 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 9 Oct. 2026.

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