predated; predating; predates
: to prey on (something or someone)
Animals predate other animals in nature, but that is hardly commensurate with a massive worldwide farming industry that breeds species purely for our purpose.—
Jenny Diski
Jenny DiskiAre high-profile men that sexually predate women finally starting to lose immunity?—Alex McKinnon
Alex McKinnonAll cats may predate but those living indoors have little opportunity to do so.—Kevin Stafford
Kevin StaffordThere are many species that predate on pigeons and doves.—Revati
RevatiSynonyms
Examples of predate in a Sentence
Verb (1)
modes of transportation that predate the car
the native people who predated European settlers in America
Recent Examples on the WebStephen Kotkin, Foreign Affairs, 18 Apr. 2024
History: The roots of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and mistrust are deep and complex, predating the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948.
—Shira Rubin, Washington Post, 18 Apr. 2024
Amazon bought Ring in 2018, and some parts of the FTC’s allegations predate the acquisition.
—Elizabeth Lopatto, The Verge, 11 Apr. 2024
The Copper Queen Hotel in Bisbee – which predates Arizona's statehood – is now up for sale and is listed for $12.5 million.
—Dina Kaur, The Arizona Republic, 11 Apr. 2024
The trend predates the pandemic, and its popularity picked up steam through it.
—Parija Kavilanz, CNN, 11 Apr. 2024
Religious restriction predates Biden administration The post appears to reference a flyer released by the White House, which advertised an Easter egg decorating event for children of National Guard members.
—Hannah Hudnall, USA TODAY, 4 Apr. 2024
But the election risks that AI amplifies—disinformation, vote suppression, election security hazards, and so on—long predate the advent of the generative-AI boom.
—Mekela Panditharatne, TIME, 10 Apr. 2024
Greenblatt, 16, joined the writer-director onstage to reflect on her experience playing Tiny Tina — a casting that predated her work in Barbie.
—Jack Smart, Peoplemag, 10 Apr. 2024
Verb
Chinese-Russian rapprochement predates the rise of Putin and Xi.
—Stephen Kotkin, Foreign Affairs, 18 Apr. 2024
History: The roots of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and mistrust are deep and complex, predating the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948.
—Shira Rubin, Washington Post, 18 Apr. 2024
Amazon bought Ring in 2018, and some parts of the FTC’s allegations predate the acquisition.
—Elizabeth Lopatto, The Verge, 11 Apr. 2024
The Copper Queen Hotel in Bisbee – which predates Arizona's statehood – is now up for sale and is listed for $12.5 million.
—Dina Kaur, The Arizona Republic, 11 Apr. 2024
The trend predates the pandemic, and its popularity picked up steam through it.
—Parija Kavilanz, CNN, 11 Apr. 2024
Religious restriction predates Biden administration The post appears to reference a flyer released by the White House, which advertised an Easter egg decorating event for children of National Guard members.
—Hannah Hudnall, USA TODAY, 4 Apr. 2024
But the election risks that AI amplifies—disinformation, vote suppression, election security hazards, and so on—long predate the advent of the generative-AI boom.
—Mekela Panditharatne, TIME, 10 Apr. 2024
Greenblatt, 16, joined the writer-director onstage to reflect on her experience playing Tiny Tina — a casting that predated her work in Barbie.
—Jack Smart, Peoplemag, 10 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'predate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near predate
Cite this Entry
“Predate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/predate. Accessed 30 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
predate
verb
pre·date
(ˈ)prē-ˈdāt 
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