1
as in curious
interested in what is not one's own business
as we moved into our new home, we could sense that there were prying eyes watching us
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2
as in busy
thrusting oneself where one is not welcome or invited
prying neighbors who refuse to mind their own business
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as in questioning
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1
as in pulling
to raise, move, or pull apart with or as if with a lever
it took some effort to pry up the trap door
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2
as in yanking
to draw out by force or with effort
a vain attempt to pry the cork out of a wine bottle
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as in interfering
to interest oneself in what is not one's concern
don't go prying into other people's business
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of prying
Nicholas Ivor Martin and Jacobina Martin, oregonlive, 4 Feb. 2023
But inquiring into the specifics of familial dynamics is impudent and prying — and a line of questioning that most people would be happy to avoid answering themselves.
—Jacobina Martin, Washington Post, 4 Feb. 2023
The Google Nest Hub (7/10, WIRED Recommends) is a great smart display with no camera (and therefore no risk of unwanted prying eyes).
—Brenda Stolyar and Medea Giordano, WIRED, 28 Nov. 2022
To my mind, however, there’s a difference between a Google or a Facebook, which provide valuable services in return for their prying eyes, and an app that serves a single, ostensibly benign purpose — parking validation.
—Los Angeles Times, 12 Nov. 2021
Carry two phones While anti-spy software may be effective in staving off the prying eyes of the Chinese government, not everyone knows how to install it.
—Jane Li, Quartz, 6 Aug. 2019
Its purpose: to train librarians to implement secure protocols on their own web services, and to teach members of the community to evade the prying eyes of governments, corporations, and criminal hackers.
—Eoin O'Carroll, The Christian Science Monitor, 18 Oct. 2017
One reason Russians have loaded up on passports is that Cypriot citizenship helps them avoid the prying eyes of their government and pay lower taxes.
—Yalman Onaran, Bloomberg.com, 11 May 2017
Adjective
But inquiring into the specifics of familial dynamics is impudent and prying -- and a line of questioning that most people would be happy to avoid answering themselves.
—Nicholas Ivor Martin and Jacobina Martin, oregonlive, 4 Feb. 2023
But inquiring into the specifics of familial dynamics is impudent and prying — and a line of questioning that most people would be happy to avoid answering themselves.
—Jacobina Martin, Washington Post, 4 Feb. 2023
The Google Nest Hub (7/10, WIRED Recommends) is a great smart display with no camera (and therefore no risk of unwanted prying eyes).
—Brenda Stolyar and Medea Giordano, WIRED, 28 Nov. 2022
To my mind, however, there’s a difference between a Google or a Facebook, which provide valuable services in return for their prying eyes, and an app that serves a single, ostensibly benign purpose — parking validation.
—Los Angeles Times, 12 Nov. 2021
Carry two phones While anti-spy software may be effective in staving off the prying eyes of the Chinese government, not everyone knows how to install it.
—Jane Li, Quartz, 6 Aug. 2019
Its purpose: to train librarians to implement secure protocols on their own web services, and to teach members of the community to evade the prying eyes of governments, corporations, and criminal hackers.
—Eoin O'Carroll, The Christian Science Monitor, 18 Oct. 2017
One reason Russians have loaded up on passports is that Cypriot citizenship helps them avoid the prying eyes of their government and pay lower taxes.
—Yalman Onaran, Bloomberg.com, 11 May 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prying
Adjective
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How to keep investing FOMO from derailing your portfolio People can feel FOMO about any exciting investment, but crypto, with its enormous short-term gains and internet cool, can prove particularly alluring to curious investors, Nadler says.Ryan Ermey, CNBC, 19 Dec. 2024
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Seated next to the actress is a curious passenger: a near-life-size white plastic swan, hollowed out with a hole in its back.Eileen Finan, People.com, 18 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Slim Chickens, a chain started in Arkansas, is also bringing locations to southeast Michigan and Jollibee, known for its fried chicken, opened its first location on busy Hall Road in Clinton Township.Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 30 Dec. 2024
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Even appliances, produce, and cookbooks—though certainly at home in this space—might be giving your kitchen a busy appearance.Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 30 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Importantly, however, is the nature of the questioning.Kimberly A. Whitler, Forbes, 15 Dec. 2024
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Reid said the questioning would have been limited to four hours.Cara Tabachnick, CBS News, 14 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The subject, a rescue rat named Buttons, showcases his inquisitive nature peering from a flower pot.Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024
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This was hardly riveting stuff, even for an inquisitive mind like Franklin’s.James Fox, Smithsonian Magazine, 19 Dec. 2024
Noun
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In recent years, Pierson has become convinced that a coercive interrogation technique common among U.S. law enforcement agencies can lead to wrongful convictions, and has championed new models of questioning.Jessica Garrison, Los Angeles Times, 18 Dec. 2024
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Edu oversaw a holistic interrogation of how Arsenal identify and recruit players all the way from the under-8s up to the men’s and women’s first teams.James McNicholas, The Athletic, 12 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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For example, excessive friction – such as intrusive pop-ups, lengthy forms, or convoluted return policies – confuses users and leads to frustration and abandonment.Forrester, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024
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But the agreement came only after Leslie’s intrusive lawyer instincts kicked in and unintentionally helped Lydia and Paul discover the truth behind their son’s death.Hunter Ingram, Variety, 14 Dec. 2024
Noun
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An inquiry from Newsweek to the senators about what specific incidents, reports and/or complaints spurred the letter earlier this year received no response.David Faris, Newsweek, 29 Dec. 2024
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The 14 corrections employees accused of being involved in the attack were placed on administrative leave around the time the death was disclosed amid inquiries by the department’s Office of Special Investigations, the state attorney general and the State Police.Ed Shanahan, New York Times, 24 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Even Greg the realtor (Matt Rogers) comes out smiling with an increasingly lucrative commission from the Morgans, and the nosy neighbor Phyllis (Linda Lavin, for whom Feldman specifically wrote the role) has plenty to gossip about with a slew of new neighbors.Hunter Ingram, Variety, 14 Dec. 2024
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Lydia becomes more alarmed and suspicious when nosy neighbor Phyllis sends her security-camera footage from the night before that clearly shows Leslie trespassing on the Morgans’ property.Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 12 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near prying
Cite this Entry
“Prying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prying. Accessed 3 Jan. 2025.
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