prowl
Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
noun
idioms
verb
noun
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the act of prowling
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moving around stealthily
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zealously pursuing members of the opposite sex
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Synonym Usage
See lurk.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of prowl
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English prollen; origin uncertain
Explanation
If you move stealthily — like you're looking for something to prey on — then you prowl. Your cat might prowl around the room and pounce on your feet, which is cute if you're awake, but annoying when you're asleep. The noun prowl means the act of moving as if to capture prey. You could take a prowl through the music shop and try to find your favorite vintage album. Prowl is also used in the phrase "on the prowl," which implies that the person doing the prowling is looking for a romantic partner. Your idea of a fun Saturday night might be staying home while your friends go on the prowl at the dance club.
Vocabulary lists containing prowl
Unit 1: Telling Details
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Touching Spirit Bear
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Where the Red Fern Grows
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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.
Big Pharma is on the prowl for biotech companies, but it’s being stingy.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026
Guardiola continued to frantically prowl the touchline in the second period but all the drama was taking place away from the Etihad Stadium to secure City's place in the last 16.
From Barron's • Jan. 28, 2026
Her “ideal day” is to go to the Iliad Bookshop in North Hollywood, “visit” the cat who sits on the register and prowl the aisles until she finds three books to bring home.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 16, 2026
The SG-1 Fathom is on the prowl for intruders.
From BBC • Dec. 7, 2025
Masks can prowl through darkness like this as easily as if they are part wraith.
From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir
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.
