prostrate 1 of 2

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as in prone
lying with the face downwards the suspects lay prostrate on the floor while the police searched the room

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

prostrate

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verb

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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective prostrate differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of prostrate are prone, recumbent, and supine. While all these words mean "lying down," prostrate implies lying full-length as in submission, defeat, or physical collapse.

a runner fell prostrate at the finish line

When would prone be a good substitute for prostrate?

While in some cases nearly identical to prostrate, prone implies a position with the front of the body turned toward the supporting surface.

push-ups require a prone position

Where would recumbent be a reasonable alternative to prostrate?

The words recumbent and prostrate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, recumbent implies the posture of one sleeping or resting.

a patient comfortably recumbent in a hospital bed

When could supine be used to replace prostrate?

While the synonyms supine and prostrate are close in meaning, supine implies lying on one's back and suggests inertness or abjectness.

lying supine on the couch

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of 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 Invention of Reality TV, making poor people prostrate themselves in an attempt to win cash is older than color television broadcasting. Rebecca Jennings, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018 In one of the most striking bag drawings, a weary African rhino is stretched and prostrated by its burden of western loans. Jack Denton, Vulture, 11 Oct. 2024 See All Example Sentences for prostrate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prostrate
Adjective
  • They'll be joined by a familiar face: The Office's Óscar Martínez, an exhausted accountant played by Oscar Nuñez.
    EW.com, EW.com, 14 May 2025
  • The music video concludes with an exhausted and bloody Charli on the baggage claim carousel.
    Marina Watts, People.com, 14 May 2025
Adjective
  • Thompson’s brother Maurice, who allegedly drove the chasing Chevrolet Equinox, was granted bail in October — indicating a potentially weak case.
    Meredith Colias-Pete, Chicago Tribune, 9 May 2025
  • The report also included a number of ‘weak’ odor sources observed during the study, including odors emanating from the Curaleaf cannabis facility on Britt Road and Goldflower Cannabis facility on Niles Road.
    James Wilkins, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 May 2025
Adjective
  • And, with darker skin tones more prone to dry skin, doubling down on your water intake with skincare is key to a longer skinspan.
    Essence, Essence, 16 May 2025
  • Overwatering depletes the water supply, increases runoff and pollution, and makes plants more prone to disease and insects.
    Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 16 May 2025
Verb
  • Others may develop it after pregnancy, as the muscles and ligaments around the uterus can loosen or weaken.
    Brandi Jones, Health, 10 May 2025
  • This weakens their ability to tailor experiences and erodes marketing efficiency.
    Amit Jhawar, Forbes.com, 9 May 2025
Verb
  • Moving Forward With Strategic Confidence Economic uncertainty should not paralyze your business's strategy.
    David Zybin, Forbes.com, 14 May 2025
  • Horn was left partially paralyzed by the tiger attack and, after a brief comeback in 2010, the pair retired from show business.
    Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 12 May 2025
Verb
  • Authorities said rushing water in a nearby creek overwhelmed the area.
    John Bacon, USA Today, 15 May 2025
  • Whatever the case, Indiana’s full-court pressure, physicality on the perimeter and timely shooting overwhelmed the Cavs at times and were enough to overcome early and late deficits at other points throughout the series.
    Joe Vardon, New York Times, 14 May 2025
Verb
  • British retail giant Marks & Spencer has been hit by a cyberattack that's downed its online payments for five days, with a ransomware group known as Scattered Spider reportedly linked to the hack.
    Thomas Brewster, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
  • The group has claimed to have downed 19 of the U.S. military's MQ-9 drones, the latest reportedly shot down on Sunday, throughout the campaign.
    Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • At this point in the Trump show, the famously unpredictable president seems to be following a script as tired as any other long-running, low-brow procedural.
    Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 5 May 2025
  • He’s grown tired of being optioned back and forth from the minor leagues.
    Tim Britton, New York Times, 3 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Prostrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prostrate. Accessed 22 May. 2025.

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