on the prowl

Idioms

Actively looking for something, as in Their underpaid computer programmers are always on the prowl for better jobs. This idiom transfers an animal's search for prey to human pursuits that are usually less bloodthirsty. [c. 1800]

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“Goldilocks” was the byword for the bull market of the past few years, but now the three bears—oil, gold, and the Fed—are on the prowl, and there may be no happy ending.

From Barron's • Mar. 20, 2026

The SG-1 Fathom is on the prowl for intruders.

From BBC • Dec. 7, 2025

Crypto kings, billionaires needing agency approvals, felons buying pardons, AI chieftains on the prowl.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 23, 2025

By late April, when the roses start blooming, they’ve already been pruned and fertilized, but Bifano is always on the prowl for any signs of disease or pests.

From Los Angeles Times • May 19, 2025

Meanwhile, in Europe, Hitler was already on the prowl for more territory.

From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023