1
as in exhausted
depleted in strength, energy, or freshness
prostrate marathoners typically spend the day after the race recovering
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in weak
lacking bodily strength
prostrate with fear as the bombs began dropping
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to weaken
to diminish the physical strength of
an athlete prostrated for weeks by a bout of pneumonia
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2
as in to paralyze
to render powerless, ineffective, or unable to move
the huge increase in gas prices really prostrated the nation's economic engine
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to overwhelm
to subject to incapacitating emotional or mental stress
a widow prostrated by crushing grief
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4
as in to down
to strike (someone) so forcefully as to cause a fall
the boxer bragged that he could prostrate any opponent with a single blow
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of prostrate
Washington Post, 5 Apr. 2022
As a prostrate Johnson held his head in both hands in disbelief, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich chose to hold his head high.
—Jeff McDonald, San Antonio Express-News, 31 Mar. 2022
Paul Hockenos, Foreign Affairs, 26 Sep. 2013
The nuns prostrated themselves in prayer, and Father Miguel doused us all in holy water.
—Lawrence Wright, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prostrate
Adjective
Johnson then stood over the prostrate Davis and fired two more times into his head, prosecutors said.
—Washington Post, 5 Apr. 2022
As a prostrate Johnson held his head in both hands in disbelief, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich chose to hold his head high.
—Jeff McDonald, San Antonio Express-News, 31 Mar. 2022
Verb
The dire warnings that there would be blackouts, power shortages, and prostrated Germany industries unable to compete on the world market rattled many politicos and burghers, even though the blackouts never transpired and Germany exported at record levels last year.
—Paul Hockenos, Foreign Affairs, 26 Sep. 2013
The nuns prostrated themselves in prayer, and Father Miguel doused us all in holy water.
—Lawrence Wright, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prostrate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prostrate
Adjective
-
After overseeing five issues in a nine-month tenure at the helm, an exhausted Johnson returned to American Medical News full time in 1990, and Chicago Times folded several months later.—
Bob Goldsborough,
Chicago Tribune,
27 June 2025
-
The exhausted face of its owner, a tech executive ending another 14-hour workday, tells quite another.—
Pavi Theva,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2025
Adjective
-
Precious metals and mining stocks were weak across both markets.—
Brendan Ahern,
Forbes.com,
9 July 2025
-
The switch coincided with DJ LeMahieu’s return from a calf injury, but accommodating the veteran gave the Yankees two weak spots in their infield.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
8 July 2025
Adjective
-
The heat and nutrients can make the sea grass more prone to disease according to the Fish and Wildlife Conservancy.—
Ashley Miznazi,
Miami Herald,
30 June 2025
-
These destinations are prone to extreme weather, such as hurricanes, typhoons, and cyclones, which can disrupt daily life and damage infrastructure.—
Kathleen Peddicord,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2025
Verb
-
The first-quarter boom in U.S. trade is weakening, with merchandise trade somewhat atypically declining for the second straight month, according to my analysis of the the most recent U.S. Census Bureau data.—
Ken Roberts,
Forbes.com,
9 July 2025
-
The June jobs report showed strong headline numbers, but the underlying data pointed to a weakening labor market.—
Danny Bakst,
Fortune,
9 July 2025
Verb
-
Trump deserves credit for ignoring the voices in Washington who counsel inaction out of an understandable but often paralyzing fear of unintended consequences.—
The Editors,
National Review,
24 June 2025
-
To all who saw Iran as a behemoth, were daunted by its deterrence and paralyzed by its threats, these are days of reckoning.—
HUSSEIN AGHA,
Foreign Affairs,
23 June 2025
Verb
-
This can overwhelm analysts and lead to alert fatigue.—
Bhupendra Singh,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
-
Among other things, a lack of staff hampered the State Emergency Response Team’s ability to maintain a 24-hour operation that was supposed to support local and county officials who were overwhelmed by the massive storm.—
Jennifer Berry Hawes,
ProPublica,
27 June 2025
Verb
-
On the women’s side, defending champion Miki Sudo of Tampa, Florida, won her 11th title, downing 33 dogs, and beating out 12 others, including a mother-daughter pair.—
Mankaprr Conteh,
Rolling Stone,
4 July 2025
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Under sunny skies in 78-degree weather, which could be described as near-perfect conditions to spend July 4th outside in Brooklyn consuming frankfurters, Chesnut’s victory wasn’t even close, with the next closest competitor downing 24 fewer hot dogs.—
David Close,
CNN Money,
4 July 2025
Adjective
-
If tired, float or tread water until out of the rip current.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
6 July 2025
-
The toll on crew members goes far beyond simply being tired.—
Iona Brannon,
Travel + Leisure,
6 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Prostrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prostrate. Accessed 16 Jul. 2025.
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