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
However, Schmidt's tenure ended with two losses and he was unable to prise the Bledisloe from the All Blacks.
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2025
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
Velutha had to prise the sandpaper out of their fingers.
From "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy
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
The significant international response helped bring about some incredible moments of the trapped being prised from under the rubble, even days later.
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2023
Aleyna was gently prised from the ruins of a flattened apartment block, Turkish broadcaster TRT Haber reported.
From BBC ● Feb. 16, 2023
She looked at photographs of these men and women and felt the dull ache of loss, as though they had prised open her hand and taken something of hers.
From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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
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
Palace’s immediate task is to ward off any late interest in prising Bolasie away before Tuesday’s transfer deadline.
From The Guardian ● Aug. 31, 2015
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.
