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
Don't fall prey to deceptive marketing language and inflated MSRP prices—our tips only take a few moments.
—
Louryn Strampe, Wired News, 12 June 2025
Thousands of Americans fall prey to medical identity theft scams each year, according to Security.org, with a large number of victims belonging to older age groups.
—Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 May 2025
Occasionally, even our relationships fall prey to this pattern of pessimism.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 18 May 2025
This is partly because organizations often fall prey to James Meindl’s ‘The Romance of Leadership’ theory, which argues that people over-attribute organizational success to the actions of individual leaders (and failure is the result of chance, bad luck, and magic).
—Dave Winsborough, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for be/fall prey to
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Louryn Strampe, Wired News, 12 June 2025
Thousands of Americans fall prey to medical identity theft scams each year, according to Security.org, with a large number of victims belonging to older age groups.
—Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 May 2025
Occasionally, even our relationships fall prey to this pattern of pessimism.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 18 May 2025
This is partly because organizations often fall prey to James Meindl’s ‘The Romance of Leadership’ theory, which argues that people over-attribute organizational success to the actions of individual leaders (and failure is the result of chance, bad luck, and magic).
—Dave Winsborough, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for be/fall prey to
Cite this Entry
“Be/fall prey to.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/be%2Ffall%20prey%20to. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
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