Meaning & use

pry

verb·Everyday

To inquire too curiously into someone's private matters, or to force something open with a lever.

See it in a sentence

She hated when her aunt would pry into her relationship during family dinners.

He used a screwdriver to pry the stuck lid off the paint can.

A note on using this word

The two senses share the idea of forcing entry, whether into private information or into a physically closed object.

Words with a similar meaning

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Make it your own

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