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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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
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
-
Dating apps amplify this dynamic, offering an endless scroll of possibilities that, instead of empowering users, usually leave them overwhelmed, disillusioned and emotionally exhausted.—
Ximena Araya-Fischel,
Forbes.com,
29 Apr. 2025
-
By the end, Stamos, clearly exhausted with his hair drenched from sweat, had impressed the room.—
Alli Rosenbloom,
CNN Money,
28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Weak Treasury Demand Moved Rates More recently, in the wake of the administration’s chaotic trade policy rollout, Treasury security auctions did not go as expected, with weak demand pushing rates up higher than everyone expected.—
Norbert Michel,
Forbes.com,
28 Apr. 2025
-
That’s why he’s been able to generate so much weak contact over the years.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
27 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Marseille are second in Ligue 1, behind champions PSG, but are prone to combustion.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2025
-
At the same time, the vulnerability of U.S. conventional forces creates powerful first-strike incentives for both sides, making minor political crises and military frictions more dangerous and prone to escalation.—
ANDREW S. LIM,
Foreign Affairs,
22 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
The pests set about sucking the sap from grape roots, slowly weakening them and opening wounds that invited disease.—
The Editors,
JSTOR Daily,
28 Apr. 2025
-
As more state legislation is passed that weakens or eliminates longstanding fire and life safety codes, the need for young workers who are trained and passionate about reversing these trends is high.—
Jim Pauley,
Forbes.com,
28 Apr. 2025
Verb
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And even in organizations offering robust benefits, many employees don’t access them—paralyzed by fear of stigma, career repercussions, or overwhelm.—
Nell Derick Debevoise,
Forbes.com,
1 May 2025
-
Singer Jeff Becerra was paralyzed in a separate shooting in 1989.—
David Matthews,
New York Daily News,
1 May 2025
Verb
-
Minnesota overwhelmed the Lakers throughout the series, using its length to take down Los Angeles.—
Matt Levine,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 May 2025
-
The supermodel recalled her biological father relinquishing his parental rights to her and her brother in a Los Angeles County courtroom — and the feeling overwhelmed her.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
People.com,
29 Apr. 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
-
But as the damage fades and the years march on, toppled trees and downed branches create gaps in the canopy that let light penetrate to the forest floor.—
Marina Wang,
Smithsonian Magazine,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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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
-
Back in the 1970s, my aunt and uncle had tired of the era’s standard foreign-vacation fare—Western Europe, the Caribbean—and decided to venture somewhat farther afield.—
Julie Belcove,
Robb Report,
3 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Prostrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prostrate. Accessed 13 May. 2025.
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