to prize
- verb
- /praɪz/
- I hurried to Penny Gold, drew my pocketknife, and prized out the gravel.
- prize open
- prize apart
- try to prize
Nobel will ring when I prize you out of the frozen ground.
- Nobel will ring when I prize you out of the frozen ground.
Examples
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- We should be able to prize this open.
-
Took me ages to prize open the box.
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Right now it's still not working, so we might well have to prize this one apart.
-
We tried to prize open the door of the fish tank... ...because we thought we could make a phone call.
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Use your clasp knife to prize open the screen.
Fiction book (1992) -
One porter drew a rough, thick blade from his rope belt and began to prize up the lid.
Fiction book (1999) -
Through the open window, he could hear the squeak of the lever arm used to prize the air-cured hands of tobacco into the hogsheads.
Fiction book (2002) -
We need to prize the lid off this can to see what's inside.
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He used a crowbar to prize open the stubborn door.
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With a little effort, she managed to prize the heavy box apart.
Synonyms
To take control of a place by using violence
Use force with a tool to open or move something that is stuck
To push into a place using physical strength or influence
To twist or pull something hard to remove it
To force open a door or window with a small metal bar
To move something by using a long bar to lift it
Use a tool or force to open something that is stuck
Pull a door quickly and hard to open it
Idioms
Compounds
A famous American award given each year for very good journalism, books or music
An annual international award for important work in science, literature, economics, or peace
How Forceful
Surface Forms
Etymology
Prize as a verb (to force open) is like the familiar verb pry and comes from an old idea of 'taking', so it gives the picture of using a tool to 'take' a lid or door open.