October 7, 2011 - Word of the Day: pry

The verb "pry" is used to describe the action of opening something with a lever.

This is a crowbar:

You can use a crowbar as a lever to pry open something that is stuck.

He's trying to pry open the supply cabinet.

Here are some more examples:

• Rimbi pried open a window to get into his house because he lost his keys.
• You have to pry open the back cover of your cell phone to get at the battery.
• Can you pry this open? I can't get it.

(Notice in the above sentences that the word "open" is often used with "pry.")

You can also use "pry" as a verb when inquiring into a person's private matters:

• Joan's mother often pries into her daughter's journal.
• I don't mean to pry, but why are the police at his house?
• You shouldn't pry into someone else's business.

Word of the Day for October 6, 2011: face

Word of the Day: August 2011

Word of the Day: July 2011