prise
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
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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:
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
Mookie Betts took a clean catch in front of the wall but a Yankees supporter tried to prise the ball out of Betts' glove - and Torres was ruled out on fan interference.
From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2024
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
In the event a dog does bite, "one of the worst things we can do is... try and prise the dogs' mouth open", Rosie adds.
From BBC ● Feb. 18, 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
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
The country is now trying to come to terms with the shock of what has just happened, now that power has been prised from the hands of the country's long-time ruler.
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2024
When the bin was prised open, officers found bags of washing powder stacked on top of concrete.
From BBC ● May 10, 2023
In interviews he is straight-talking and to the point, but answers almost have to be prised from him.
From BBC ● Mar. 15, 2023
They prised an odd-shaped fungus growth off a tree.
From "The Incredible Journey" by Sheila Burnford
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
But prising him away from Spurs chairman Daniel Levy would prove extremely difficult, if not impossible.
From The Guardian ● Dec. 18, 2018
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
Ron said, prising a fish bone out from between his teeth.
From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
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.
