to pry

Examples

• All

• Second, the boards were pried loose, handed down, and further denailed, sized, and stacked.

  Academic text (1998)

• We'll use this knife to pry it out.

  Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006)

• So we push, push it in, pry, oh, pry it back and then release.

• I had to pry it loose.

  Sleuth (1972)

• Quickly, I push Anne toward the corner and pry open the secret panel with my fingers.

  Fiction book (1990)

• It was the back door, and you pried it open.

  October Baby (2011)

• I got a large stick, and using it for a lever, pried the stone up.

  Fiction book (1990)

• Sanbao had tried many times to pry this box open with his chopsticks, but had never succeeded.

  Fiction book (1992)

• The sexton pried open the coffin to find its occupant lying face down.

  Academic text (2014)

• The mechanic had to pry the hood open to check the engine.

Synonyms

P

to pull

vsto pry

∞ 1.0

To move something toward you using force, often to remove it

adds the idea of using tools and facing difficulty when moving or opening

Y

to yank

vsto pry

196 4.1

To pull something suddenly and hard

is similar but emphasizes tool use and overcoming stubborn resistance

W

to wrench

vsto pry

33 4.2

To twist or pull something hard to remove it

does the same action but often less about violent twisting and more about leverage

L

to lift

vsto pry

25 1.0

To take something off a surface carefully

involves force and tools and often difficulty rather than careful gentle removal

C

to crack open

vsto pry

15 2.6

Open something like a bottle or box to get what is inside

uses force often with a tool to move or open stubborn items

J

to jimmy

vsto pry

8 8.6

To force open a door or window with a small metal bar

is about using force with a tool when something is hard to open

P

to prize

vsto pry

7 9.1

To force something open with a tool like a crowbar

is the same idea but highlights doing this when it is hard to do

L

to lever

vsto pry

3 4.9

To move something by using a long bar to lift it

focuses more on using any tool and the difficulty of the action

P

to prise

vsto pry

• UK

1 7.7

Use a tool or force to open something that is stuck

is the same action but stresses difficulty and often using a tool

Y

to yank the door open

vsto pry

• Informal

1 4.6

Pull a door quickly and hard to open it

is the general notion of using force and tools to open difficult objects

R

to revulse

vsto pry

• Archaic

9.9

Pull something away suddenly with great force

shares forceful removal but focuses on using tools and difficulty rather than sheer violence

Antonyms

S

to seal

457 2.5

To close something tightly to stop air or water getting in

F

to fasten

68 1.6

Hold something in place so it cannot move

Phrasal Verbs

P

to pry into

• Informal

8 7.2

Try to find out private things about someone in an annoying way

P

to pry into someone's business

• Informal

1 7.5

To try to find out private things about someone without their permission

Compounds

P

pry bar

• US

3 4.8

A heavy metal tool with a flat pointed end used to lift things and pull nails

How Forceful

to wrench

33 4.2

to yank

196 4.1

to pry

76 4.4

to push

∞ 1.0

to nudge

33 3.8

Surface Forms

Etymology