1
as in exhausted
depleted in strength, energy, or freshness
prostrate marathoners typically spend the day after the race recovering
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Dennis Peck, oregonlive, 14 Aug. 2022
Johnson then stood over the prostrate Davis and fired two more times into his head, prosecutors said.
—Washington Post, 5 Apr. 2022
Ron Cunningham, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 June 2025
King David named it as a site for prayer and would prostrate himself there.
—Michael Goldstein, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for prostrate
Adjective
An excellent prostrate variety well suited to rockeries and pathways.
—Dennis Peck, oregonlive, 14 Aug. 2022
Johnson then stood over the prostrate Davis and fired two more times into his head, prosecutors said.
—Washington Post, 5 Apr. 2022
Verb
Basically a man who had built a solid reputation as a career university president naively entered the Church of Florida Autocracy, donned sackcloth and ashes and prostrated himself … ultimately for no heavenly reward whatsoever.
—Ron Cunningham, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 June 2025
King David named it as a site for prayer and would prostrate himself there.
—Michael Goldstein, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for prostrate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prostrate
Adjective
-
Two shivering dogs now sat in her backseat, exhausted but safe.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Surely that has increasing resonance among the politically exhausted and spiritually disenchanted.—
Abby McCloskey,
Mercury News,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
New orders contracted for a fourth month and export bookings remained weak, based on the ISM data.—
Reade Pickert Bloomberg,
Arkansas Online,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Getting too little of either can lead to weak, brittle bones, and too much can also cause problems (like kidney stones or nausea).—
T'Keyah Bazin,
Verywell Health,
6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
When heavy rain occurs, there is a potential for flooding, particularly in areas that are low-lying or prone to floods.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Nov. 2025
-
And then on Thursday, after most of the show had been written, a man collapsed in the Oval Office, generating an instantly meme-able photograph of the president staring into the camera, looking oblivious to efforts to revive the prone victim at stage left.—
Erik Adams,
The Atlantic,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
With some estimates putting wave heights as much as 35 feet, weakened hatch covers would have been vulnerable to such waves.—
Stephen J. Beard,
USA Today,
7 Nov. 2025
-
The years of horrific violence have weakened Sudan, plunging its institutions into chaos and making its population more vulnerable and poorer.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Cuban officials acknowledged at the end of last year the country’s economy is yet again paralyzed due to fuel shortages and power stations constantly breaking down.—
Nora Gámez Torres,
Miami Herald,
3 Jan. 2026
-
This week's protests are the biggest in three years, since nationwide demonstrations triggered by the death of a young woman in custody in late 2022 paralyzed Iran for weeks, with rights groups reporting hundreds killed.—
Joey Garrison,
USA Today,
2 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Duncyte, the master’s student from Lithuania, said she was immediately overwhelmed by Colorado’s beauty and wildlife.—
Sam Tabachnik,
Denver Post,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Families will drop their plans, get sicker and even die without essential treatment, and hospitals will be overwhelmed with untreated people coming to the emergency room.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Report downed power lines to the police.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Frazer pointed to a memorable scene when last year’s USA Mosconi Cup captain, Skyler Woodward, won a doubles match with Gorst and then asked the crowd for two beers, which the pair downed while the American fans soaked up the antics and cheered them on.—
Jeremy Herb,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
The first turned a fourth-quarter fumble into a 59-yard score when Achane burst through a tired, and seemingly defeated Buffalo defensive front and outsprinted the Bills’ entire secondary to the end zone.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
9 Nov. 2025
-
But that feels like a tired, outdated characterisation.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
8 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Prostrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prostrate. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
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