pry
1 of 3verb (1)
ˈprī 
pried; prying
intransitive verb
: to look closely or inquisitively
also : to make a nosy or presumptuous inquiry
pry
2 of 3verb (2)
pried; prying
transitive verb
1
: to raise, move, or pull apart with a lever : prize
2
: to extract, detach, or open with difficulty
pried the secret out of my sister
pry
3 of 3noun
1
: a tool for prying
2
: leverage
Synonyms
Verb (1)
- butt in
- interfere
- interlope
- intermeddle
- intrude
- meddle
- mess
- muck (about or around)
- nose
- obtrude
- poke
- snoop
Verb (2)
- jimmy
- lever
- prize
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web
City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 June 2022 Surveillance footage from inside the business showed that after Radda was shot, the gunman forced the register open with a pry bar while Espinoza stood by the store’s entrance and acted as a lookout. City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 June 2022 Exercising the caution of an archaeologist on a dig, Biondo and his team used small pry bars and light hammers to uncover design details long concealed. Arielle Dollinger, House Beautiful, 3 June 2021 Use a small pry bar with a sharp, wide blade, such as the Restorer’s Cat’s Paw ($19.90 for the eight-inch version at Lee Valley). Washington Post, 10 May 2021 When the Magna earthquake shook the Salt Lake Valley last March, tiles and bricks fell out of the ceiling at West Lake STEM Junior High with such force that the doors at one entryway were blocked and wouldn’t open without a pry bar. Courtney Tanner, The Salt Lake Tribune, 28 Mar. 2021 Harvest those carefully using a strong knife or small pry bar. Wes Siler, Outside Online, 9 Mar. 2021 Then use a pry bar to pull off any interior or exterior trim. Joseph Truini, Popular Mechanics, 28 Feb. 2021 On June 2, 2019, Walnut Creek 911 received several calls about Hall threatening family members and walking around the neighborhood with a long metal pry bar, causing a commotion. Christina Maxouris, CNN, 22 Sep. 2020 See More
Noun
Surveillance footage from inside the business showed that after Radda was shot, the gunman went to the register and forced it open with a pry bar while Espinoza stood by the store’s entrance and acted as a lookout. City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 June 2022 Surveillance footage from inside the business showed that after Radda was shot, the gunman forced the register open with a pry bar while Espinoza stood by the store’s entrance and acted as a lookout. City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 June 2022 Exercising the caution of an archaeologist on a dig, Biondo and his team used small pry bars and light hammers to uncover design details long concealed. Arielle Dollinger, House Beautiful, 3 June 2021 Use a small pry bar with a sharp, wide blade, such as the Restorer’s Cat’s Paw ($19.90 for the eight-inch version at Lee Valley). Washington Post, 10 May 2021 When the Magna earthquake shook the Salt Lake Valley last March, tiles and bricks fell out of the ceiling at West Lake STEM Junior High with such force that the doors at one entryway were blocked and wouldn’t open without a pry bar. Courtney Tanner, The Salt Lake Tribune, 28 Mar. 2021 Harvest those carefully using a strong knife or small pry bar. Wes Siler, Outside Online, 9 Mar. 2021 Then use a pry bar to pull off any interior or exterior trim. Joseph Truini, Popular Mechanics, 28 Feb. 2021 On June 2, 2019, Walnut Creek 911 received several calls about Hall threatening family members and walking around the neighborhood with a long metal pry bar, causing a commotion. Christina Maxouris, CNN, 22 Sep. 2020 See More Word History
Etymology
Verb (1)
Middle English prien
Verb (2)
probably back-formation from prize entry 5
First Known Use
Verb (1)
14th century, in the meaning defined above
Verb (2)
circa 1806, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Noun
1823, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Kids Definition
pry 1 of 2
verb
ˈprī
pried; prying
1
: to raise or open with a lever
2
: to get at with great difficulty
I couldn't pry the secret out of him.
pry
2 of 2verb
pried; prying
: to be nosy about something I don't mean to pry, but who is that girl I saw you with?
pry 1 of 2
verb (1)
1
as in to pull
to raise, move, or pull apart with or as if with a lever it took some effort to pry up the trap door Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- pull
- lift
- lever
- jimmy
- break
- prize
- elevate
- divide
- hoist
- detach
- separate
- shift
- disengage
- part
- uplift
- break up
- disjoin
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- join
- connect
2
as in to yank
to draw out by force or with effort a vain attempt to pry the cork out of a wine bottle Synonyms & Similar Words
- pull
- yank
- extract
- pluck
- remove
- uproot
- wrest
- prize
- wring
- corkscrew
- mine
- tear (out)
- withdraw
- take (out)
- root (out)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- insert
- install
- instill
- implant
- jam
- stuff
- ram
- wedge
- cram
pry
2 of 2verb (2)
as in to interfere
to interest oneself in what is not one's concern don't go prying into other people's business Synonyms & Similar Words
- interfere
- mess
- poke
- snoop
- intervene
- meddle
- intrude
- obtrude
- nose
- butt in
- intermeddle
- interlope
- intercede
- invade
- encroach
- tamper
- fool
- interpose
- trespass
- muck (about or around)
- infringe
- fiddle
- play
- monkey
- chisel (in)
- barge (in)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- avoid
- shun
- ignore
- eschew
- disregard
- overlook
- neglect
- black bass
- black bean
- black bear
- black bearberry
- black beast
- black beasts
- black beauty
- black bee
- black beech
- black beetle
- black belt
- black bile
- black bindweed
- black birch
- black biskop
- black blight
- black blister beetle
- black blizzard
- black blowfly
- black blueberry
- black bone
- black bonito
- black bonnet
- black book
- black bottle