be/fall prey to
idiom
1
: to be killed by (an animal, disease, etc.)
The deer fell prey to coyotes.
Many people fell prey to disease.
2
: to be harmed or affected in a bad way by (someone or something)
After the accident, she was prey to all kinds of anxieties.
Some of his friends fell prey to drugs.
Examples of be/fall prey to in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Macron has come to understand that Europe’s security, sovereignty, and prosperity would be irremediably threatened if the EU were to allow its neighbors to fall prey to aggressive powers.
—
Célia Belin, Foreign Affairs, 5 Apr. 2024
Written by Ulrike Tony Vahl and produced by Martina Haubrich, the German series follows an idyllic community torn asunder when its children fall prey to a mysterious malady.
—Ben Croll, Variety, 20 Mar. 2024
Van Noten didn’t fall prey to fashion’s insatiable appetites that have designers creating dozens of collections a year and mounting extravaganzas around the world.
—Robin Givhan, Washington Post, 19 Mar. 2024
To avoid being part of these growing statistics, keep your guard up, because even the most financially savvy can fall prey to tactics employed by these criminals.
—Jill Schlesinger, The Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2024
The geneticists also want to engineer a mammoth with no tusks, so the animals don’t fall prey to poachers.
—Katie Hunt, CNN, 9 Mar. 2024
In 2028, 15 drugs covered by the Part D drug benefit or dispensed in physician offices under Part B will fall prey to the IRA's scheme.
—Sally Pipes, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2024
But the apes might still fall prey to human society's old flaws.
—EW.com, 2 Nov. 2023
Instances of fraudulent emails attempting to redirect payments highlight the need for a vigilant approach, ensuring that companies do not fall prey to scams that could lead to irreversible financial consequences.
—Chris Gallagher, USA TODAY, 25 Jan. 2024
Célia Belin, Foreign Affairs, 5 Apr. 2024
Written by Ulrike Tony Vahl and produced by Martina Haubrich, the German series follows an idyllic community torn asunder when its children fall prey to a mysterious malady.
—Ben Croll, Variety, 20 Mar. 2024
Van Noten didn’t fall prey to fashion’s insatiable appetites that have designers creating dozens of collections a year and mounting extravaganzas around the world.
—Robin Givhan, Washington Post, 19 Mar. 2024
To avoid being part of these growing statistics, keep your guard up, because even the most financially savvy can fall prey to tactics employed by these criminals.
—Jill Schlesinger, The Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2024
The geneticists also want to engineer a mammoth with no tusks, so the animals don’t fall prey to poachers.
—Katie Hunt, CNN, 9 Mar. 2024
In 2028, 15 drugs covered by the Part D drug benefit or dispensed in physician offices under Part B will fall prey to the IRA's scheme.
—Sally Pipes, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2024
But the apes might still fall prey to human society's old flaws.
—EW.com, 2 Nov. 2023
Instances of fraudulent emails attempting to redirect payments highlight the need for a vigilant approach, ensuring that companies do not fall prey to scams that could lead to irreversible financial consequences.
—Chris Gallagher, USA TODAY, 25 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'be/fall prey to.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Cite this Entry
“Be/fall prey to.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/be%2Ffall%20prey%20to. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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