prise
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
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to force open by levering
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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:
In at number one, though, is a force who made the £80m Real Madrid coughed up to prise him from Manchester United in 2009 look like pennies.
From BBC ● Apr. 21, 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
Curran nicked off Mitchell but was unable to prise out another before New Zealand reached the winning line.
From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2025
He has sought to prise their fingers from the party machine and gain control, you might say, “piece by piece”.
From BBC ● May 31, 2024
“That’s all, then, is it?” asked Hermione, making to prise herself off the sofa.
From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
Any other business may depend on whether any of their current stars are prised away.
From BBC ● Jun. 23, 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
Ex-Great Britain rugby league international Forshaw has been prised away from Premiership outfit Sale to be in charge the Wales defence.
From BBC ● Jan. 17, 2023
Leo prised open a service panel near the snake’s head.
From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan
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
At the time, the £34m Liverpool spent on prising Mane away from Southampton made him the most expensive African player in history.
From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2021
Arsenal drew widespread praise for prising goalkeeper Petr Cech away from Chelsea, a coup many thought would be the catalyst for a serious Premier League title challenge.
From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2015
In other Colombian striker news, Manchester United are interested in prising Falcao's 20-year-old compatriot James Rodríguez away from Porto and are believed to be offering Nani as part of a possible swap or player-plus-cash deal.
From The Guardian ● Feb. 21, 2013
She was undressing her doll, prising the skirt off the plastic body.
From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
