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:
A survey by France's secondary school union found nearly 78% had recorded temperatures above 30C this week, and said it had received reports of teachers bringing in screwdrivers to prise windows open.
From BBC ● May 28, 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
It is clearly a view shared by manager Mikel Arteta, hence the failed bid to prise England striker Ollie Watkins away from Aston Villa during this window.
From BBC ● Feb. 3, 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
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
Lee passed Harry the egg, and Harry dug his fingernails into the groove that ran all the way around it and prised it open.
From "Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire" by J. K. Rowling
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
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
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
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.
