prey on

1. Plunder or pillage; also, make a profit at someone else's expense, victimize. For example, Vikings preyed on the coastal towns of England , or The rich have been preying on the poor for centuries . [Late 1500s]

2. Hunt, especially in order to eat, as in Their cat preys on all the rodents in the neighborhood . [c. 1600]

3. Exert a baneful or injurious effect, as in Guilt preyed on his mind . [c. 1700]

Example Sentences

“Now even the FBI, under an administration that has aggressively expanded unconstitutional immigration enforcement, has confirmed that when agents don’t clearly identify themselves, it opens the door for violent impersonators to prey on vulnerable families,” Hernandez said in a statement.

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County supervisors want to bar “predatory” salespeople who they say prey on vulnerable residents seeking benefits from the region’s social services offices.

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"By ignoring the warnings, they allowed him to continue. Promoting him gave him even more students to prey on."

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For decades, scientists suspected that some large bat species prey on small birds during flight.

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"Those industries prey on the fear and anxiety of young men," he says.

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Related Words

• bully 
• devour 
• exploit 
• feed on www.thesaurus.com
• fleece 
• haunt 
• intimidate 
• oppress 
• plunder 
• take advantage of 
• victimize