pry

¹ American  

[prahy] / praɪ /

verb (used without object)

pried, prying

1. to inquire impertinently or unnecessarily into something.

   to pry into the personal affairs of others.

2. to look closely or curiously; peer; peep.

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noun

plural

pries

1. an impertinently inquisitive person.

2. an act of prying.

pry ² American  

[prahy] / praɪ /

verb (used with object)

pried, prying

1. to move, raise, or open by leverage.

2. to get, separate, or ferret out with difficulty.

   to pry a secret out of someone;

   We finally pried them away from the TV.

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noun

plural

pries

1. a tool, as a crowbar, for raising, moving, or opening something by leverage.

2. the leverage exerted.

pry ¹ British  

/ praɪ /

verb

1. to make an impertinent or uninvited inquiry (about a private matter, topic, etc)

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noun

1. the act of prying

2. a person who pries

pry ² British  

/ praɪ /

verb

1. to force open by levering

2. to extract or obtain with difficulty

   they had to pry the news out of him

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Etymology

Origin of pry¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English prien, “look about, peep”; further origin unknown

Origin of pry²

First recorded in 1800–10; back formation from prize ³, taken as a plural noun or 3rd person singular verb

Example Sentences

Perez’s case is one of several in which the Civilian Oversight Commission has tried unsuccessfully to pry records out of the Sheriff’s Department.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

We asked some parenting experts for their tips on how to pry those phones away from their offspring's hands – even if only for a short while.

From BBC • Mar. 26, 2026

France, the U.K. and the Soviet Union worked together in mine-sweeping operations to pry the chokepoint open.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 16, 2026

The renewed effort to pry open these archives stems from the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which Congress passed with bipartisan support.

From Salon • Dec. 9, 2025

It didn’t have a handle, but Paris was able to reach under the bottom and pry it loose.

From "City Spies" by James Ponti

Related Words

• extract
• pull
• wrest