quarry 1 of 2

noun

ˈkwȯr-ē How to pronounce quarry (audio)
Definition of quarrynext
as in prey
an animal that is hunted or killed a hunter relentlessly tracking his quarry

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

quarry

2 of 2

verb

as in to mine

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of quarry
Noun
The ship moves the material 42 miles (68km) from the Klein Point quarry on the Yorke Peninsula to a cement factory in Birkenhead, Adelaide. — New Atlas, 16 Sep. 2026 Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area is home to the tallest lighthouse on the Oregon Coast (built in 1872), plus picturesque quarries and plenty of wildlife spotting opportunities, from harbor seals to bald eagles. — Sierra Vandervort, Travel + Leisure, 10 Sep. 2026
Verb
Locally quarried near-black stone anchors the heavier architectural gestures while brushed alpine woods and natural fabrics supply tactile warmth. — Paul Jebara, Forbes.com, 26 Feb. 2026 Blue Hone is found on the island’s north side and needs to be more actively quarried. — Matt Slater, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for quarry
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quarry
  1. prey
  2. mine
  3. delve
  4. scoop
Noun
  • Chances of encountering a shark in Southern California are higher in October, when warmer coastal waters attract both prey and juvenile sharks.
    — Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 5 Oct. 2026
  • To give the episodes shape, each is broken up into several mini-narratives, such as a mother cheetah learning to adapt her hunting style to mountainous rocky terrain in order to catch prey for her hungry cubs.
    — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of prey
Verb
  • Stats show travel retail stores are being mined for discovery and unforgettable memories, with 86 percent of people wanting exclusive beauty offers in the channel, according to L’Oréal.
    — Jennifer Weil, Footwear News, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Hollister selectively mines its past while Abercrombie keeps moving away from it.
    — Ashley Lynch, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of mine
Verb
  • Also, live demonstrations of Nikola Tesla’s lightning machine, magic and talks, one featuring a chief engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory that’ll delve into the mysteries of the universe.
    — Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The conversations will delve into pop culture, parenting, relationships, careers, money and politics.
    — Ted Johnson, Deadline, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of delve
Verb
  • Jordan Davis of the Eagles leaped and blocked the kick, scooped the ball and returned it 61 yards for a touchdown that sent the Rams to a 33-26 defeat.
    — Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Then Marvel took a hike to Disney, which scooped them up for $4 billion in 2009.
    — Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of scoop

Browse Nearby Words

quarries
quarry
quarrying
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Quarry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quarry. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on quarry

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about quarry

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All