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Prepositions with prey

Prey on or prey upon?

The verb prey usually takes on or upon when describing exploitation or hunting. Prey for and prey of are not standard complements of prey.

Quick answer

Which preposition is used with prey?

Use prey on or prey upon to mean exploit, attack, or hunt. Prey upon is slightly more formal. Do not use prey for or prey of as standard verb complements.

Scammers often prey on elderly people.
Large cats prey upon smaller animals.
Fraudsters prey on tourists online.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
prey on + person/group

Targeting or exploiting someone

Use prey on for harmful exploitation.

The company was accused of prey on vulnerable customers.
2
prey upon + animal/person

More formal or literary use

Prey upon has the same meaning as prey on but sounds more formal.

Owls prey upon small rodents at night.
3
prey on + fears/weaknesses

Using weaknesses for advantage

The object can be a weakness or emotion.

The advertisement prey on consumer anxiety.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
prey on
Cybercriminals prey on inexperienced users.
Standard and common choice for exploitation or hunting.
prey upon
The regime preyed upon poor communities.
Standard but more formal or literary.
prey for
They became easy prey for online scams.
For belongs with the noun prey, not the verb phrase prey for.
prey of
The deer was the prey of wolves.
Possible with the noun prey, not as the verb phrase prey of.

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using prey for as a verb phrase

Prey does not normally take for directly as a complement.

✕ Scammers prey for tourists. ✓ Scammers prey on tourists.

Confusing the noun and verb

Prey of can describe a noun relationship, not the verb.

✕ Animals prey of insects. ✓ Animals prey on insects.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. Some lenders ___ desperate borrowers.
2. In formal writing, you may see predators ___ weaker animals.
3. Choose the correct sentence.

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Frequently asked questions

Is prey upon more correct than prey on?

No. Both are correct, but prey upon sounds more formal.

Can I say prey for someone?

Not as a verb complement. Use prey on someone.

Is prey of ever correct?

Yes, with prey as a noun: The rabbit was the prey of a fox.

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