- a variation of prize.
prise
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
-
to force open by levering
-
to extract or obtain with difficulty
they had to prise the news out of him
noun
Etymology
Origin of prise
C17: from Old French prise a taking, from prendre to take, from Latin prehendere; see prize 1
Explanation
To prise is to extract or move something using force, the way you'd prise your stolen diary out of your snooping sibling's hands. The verb prise is good for when you use an effortful physical force. If you're struggling to open an old window that's painted shut, you may need a screwdriver to prise it open. Don't mistake prise for its homonym prize, which as a verb means "to cherish or appreciate." The two words do share a root, the Latin prendere, "to grasp, seize, or catch."
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.
See Examples For:
However, he would be difficult to prise from his current role given his contract runs until 2029.
From BBC ● Oct. 26, 2026
Jalibert landed his fourth conversion to bring his team to within a point but could not then prise another gap in the Pau defence.
From Barron's ● Nov. 21, 2025
Inside was a note which had become glued together with age, so experts used special techniques and chemicals to prise it apart.
From BBC ● Feb. 21, 2025
However, he signed a four-year deal at the Tractor Boys and would be expensive for United to prise from Ipswich.
From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2024
Miss Kenton continued very gently to prise the book away, practically one finger at a time.
From "The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro
Everton's supporters may reluctantly accept that important players could be prised away by Champions League clubs, but the notion of Nottingham Forest being able to do the same added another layer to their fury.
From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2026
Moreover, Papic believes the Strait of Hormuz will be prised open shortly, not just because of America’s blitzkrieg but by a coordinated response from the rest of the world.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 16, 2026
Although it was recovered, the crown was damaged, and Laurence des Cars told the senators that it had probably been crushed as the thieves prised it from its display case.
From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2025
She fears that Alex will have already suffered from being prised from the life he knew in Oldham.
From BBC ● Dec. 16, 2023
They prised an odd-shaped fungus growth off a tree.
From "The Incredible Journey" by Sheila Burnford
While prising Claude Makelele from Real Madrid's Galacticos was a huge statement - likewise Hernan Crespo from Inter Milan - Petr Cech was the wall on which back-to-back titles were built.
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026
Liverpool are interested in the 25-year-old Sweden forward but know they would have to break the British transfer record to even stand a chance of prising him from the Magpies.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2025
One black-clad officer crouched near the head of the grave, delicately prising a green-tinted hand free from the dirt, while a colleague stood by, holding a clipboard, making careful notes.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 4, 2022
It was the reward for sharp counterattacking and meticulous defending, as Palace successfully prevented their hosts from prising them apart.
From The Guardian ● Apr. 11, 2019
Ron said, prising a fish bone out from between his teeth.
From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
