Thesaurus results for PRYING

prying 1 of 4

adjective

ˈprī-iŋ

Definition of prying

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

prying

2 of 4

noun

as in questioning

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Dissimilar Words

prying

3 of 4

verb (1)

present participle of pry

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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

prying

4 of 4

verb (2)

present participle of pry

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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective prying contrast with its synonyms?

The words curious and inquisitive are common synonyms of prying. While all three words mean "interested in what is not one's personal or proper concern," prying implies busy meddling and officiousness.

prying neighbors who refuse to mind their own business

When is it sensible to use curious instead of prying?

While in some cases nearly identical to prying, curious, a neutral term, basically connotes an active desire to learn or to know.

children are curious about everything

When is inquisitive a more appropriate choice than prying?

The words inquisitive and prying are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, inquisitive suggests impertinent and habitual curiosity and persistent quizzing.

dreaded the visits of their inquisitive relatives

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of prying

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. — Jacobina Martin, Washington Post, 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. — Nicholas Ivor Martin and Jacobina Martin, oregonlive, 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

Noun

Meanwhile, celebrities opting for real-life mountain living include Tom Cruise with his staggering 298-acre mountain estate, as well as Oprah Winfrey, who both chose Telluride, Colorado to build in, live in and escape prying paparazzi. — Catherine Dunwoody, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026 Part of the Democratic disagreement comes from just how much attention to pay to media outlets’ prying, versus the power of the message. — Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 15 July 2026 The bathroom is encased with polycarbonate walls to let in light but keep out prying eyes. — Clio Chang, Curbed, 30 June 2026 It’s often viewed as a dumping ground for human refuse — out of sight, out of mind — and it is structured to prevent prying eyes. — Gerard S. Williams, Sun Sentinel, 21 June 2026 Following Guthrie's prying, Lopez eventually caved in with a concrete answer. — Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 2 June 2026 With that said, the game has managed to rack up an impressive five million sales in under a month, developing a dedicated fanbase that's been probing and prying at the game's engine, with delightful and sometimes unexpected results. — Alan Bradley, Space.com, 16 Apr. 2026 Palm Springs Has Still Got It This desert enclave has long been many things at once—a spa town, a sanctuary away from Hollywood's prying eyes, a design capital, a shoo-in for winter sun. — Jason Sheeler, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Feb. 2026 But in the quietest corner of the 10-acre sanctuary, away from the public’s prying eyes, a cohort of most unusual occupants sleep. — Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 20 Feb. 2026

Verb

Spanning 42 feet long and more than 14 feet wide, the observatory is designed to explore the outer solar system and beyond – prying into previously unobservable areas of the universe to study dark energy and search for exoplanets. — Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026 This is an uncomplicated yarn about a man prying open his heart and nudging other hard nuts to do the same. — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026 That truce, born from the scars of Europe’s bloody religious wars and America’s own colonial theocracies, was deemed unbreakable, but Falwell was making inroads toward prying it apart. — Literary Hub, 25 Aug. 2026 With other phones, even something simple like replacing an aging battery often requires melting adhesive, prying apart fragile glass panels, and decoupling cables. — Ryan Whitwam, ArsTechnica, 18 Aug. 2026 Netflis is keeping the logline a hop, skip and a jump from prying eyes but it is known to be a mother-daughter story involving teleportation. — Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 7 Aug. 2026 This $10 option comes with three privacy glass screen protectors that will shield your screen from damage and prying eyes at the same time. — Jillian Dara, Travel + Leisure, 2 Aug. 2026 Miller has entered the conversation for most dominant closer ever, and multiple contenders are interested in prying him away from a middling team. — The Athletic Mlb Staff, New York Times, 27 July 2026 Not with these linen panels that Malek Barney recommends—the thicker fabric strikes that Goldilocks balance between privacy and natural light, letting sunlight gently filter through while still shielding your space from prying eyes. — Alexandra Emanuelli, Southern Living, 22 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for prying

Adjective

Yes, Thom is in the cult, or at the very least, Riders of the Afterlife–curious, a development that doesn’t track at all but does give him another opportunity to express that he’s broken and misses his dad.

— Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 27 Aug. 2026
For people in Iowa curious about live music as a profession, that access can make the industry feel closer.

— Svetlana Khachiyan, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of curious

Noun

And she has been asked to comment and speak on MANY things over the years … choosing only to speak on that which brings love and mercy to real people, and shutting down any line of questioning that won’t.

— Hunter Kelly, HollywoodReporter, 26 Aug. 2026
Sullivan sent jurors home with plans to resume Heilbrun's questioning Tuesday.

— Melina Khan, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of questioning

Verb

The episode feinted toward genuine rapprochement before yanking the rug out, leaving the Gang pelted with an industrial-grade indoor blizzard and then happily chucking rocks at passing trains, as was Mac and Charlie’s childhood tradition.

— Dennis Perkins, Entertainment Weekly, 28 July 2026
The tentacular Scylla is seen briefly but makes an impact, yanking sailors off Odysseus’s ship in a series of loud jump scares.

— Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 16 July 2026

Definition of yanking

Verb

However, according to the report, violence is increasing in museum thefts, with thieves using instruments such as dynamite, guns, and sledgehammers to gain access to treasures and deter employees from interfering.

— News Desk, Artforum, 24 Aug. 2026
Other kids can, too, without their parents interfering on Facebook groups.

— Mary Frances Ruskell, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of interfering

Adjective

Being asked to keep Nielsen’s proprietary devices in their homes is nothing new for the company’s panel participants, but the push to wear listening wearables could strike some as a bit intrusive.

— Charles Pulliam-Moore, The Verge, 19 Aug. 2026
Zeizel, who did not treat Clancy prior to the killings, testified that Clancy's intrusive thoughts eventually became unrelenting.

— Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of intrusive

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pry

prying

psalm

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Style

“Prying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prying. Accessed 29 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of prying

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