pry
1 Americanverb (used without object)
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to inquire impertinently or unnecessarily into something.
to pry into the personal affairs of others.
-
to look closely or curiously; peer; peep.
noun
plural
pries-
an impertinently inquisitive person.
-
an act of prying.
verb (used with object)
-
to move, raise, or open by leverage.
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to get, separate, or ferret out with difficulty.
to pry a secret out of someone;
We finally pried them away from the TV.
noun
plural
pries-
a tool, as a crowbar, for raising, moving, or opening something by leverage.
-
the leverage exerted.
verb
noun
-
the act of prying
-
a person who pries
verb
-
to force open by levering
-
to extract or obtain with difficulty
they had to pry the news out of him
Etymology
Origin of pry1
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English prien, “look about, peep”; further origin unknown
Origin of pry2
First recorded in 1800–10; back formation from prize 3, taken as a plural noun or 3rd person singular verb
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.
France, the U.K. and the Soviet Union worked together in mine-sweeping operations to pry the chokepoint open.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 16, 2026
The renewed effort to pry open these archives stems from the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which Congress passed with bipartisan support.
From Salon • Dec. 9, 2025
When the agents failed to pry the sofa bed open, Maltzan told them it was stuck, but they could “shoot through the couch” if they thought she was hiding anything.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 19, 2025
Paul Leighton is packing his rucksack with a heavy-duty hammer, pry bar and evidence bags for what he describes as "just an average day out".
From BBC • Apr. 23, 2025
It took three people to pry Peach out of the car.
From Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles
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.
