prey on
Verb
Meaning
(transitive) To eat (as prey).
Owls prey on small mammals, such as mice.
(transitive, figuratively) To exploit or victimize.
(transitive, figuratively) To weigh heavily upon (a person's mind).
Source: en.wiktionary.orgSynonyms
Examples
The poor prey on one another because their lives offer no hope and communicate the tragic message to these human beings that they have no possibility to attain a decent standard of living.
The things that prey on my mind in London seem to disappear as soon as I find myself in a different environment. Survival mode kicks in.
'Amusement' is appealing because we don't have to think; it spares us the fear and anxiety that might otherwise prey on our thoughts.
Without game, men prey on each other.
There's a special place in hell for people who prey on children. I've yet to see a valid explanation and I have no reason to doubt the victims' accounts.
A little ahead, a black-capped kingfisher swoops down at lightning speed to prey on a fish.