1
as in weakening
to diminish the physical strength of
an athlete prostrated for weeks by a bout of pneumonia
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in paralyzing
to render powerless, ineffective, or unable to move
the huge increase in gas prices really prostrated the nation's economic engine
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in overcoming
to subject to incapacitating emotional or mental stress
a widow prostrated by crushing grief
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in downing
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 prostrating
His prostrating himself in front of Vladimir Putin is now oily and explainable.
—
Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 11 Jan. 2026
Typically, penitents would remain outside church gatherings, demonstrating their repentance by prostrating themselves, and then publicly confess.
—Timothy Gabrielli, The Conversation, 25 Aug. 2025
Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 11 Jan. 2026
Typically, penitents would remain outside church gatherings, demonstrating their repentance by prostrating themselves, and then publicly confess.
—Timothy Gabrielli, The Conversation, 25 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prostrating
Verb
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Many new grads will enter a weakening labor market for young workers.—
Jennifer Liu,
CNBC,
24 May 2026
-
Eleven Indiana House districts – three of them in Porter County – have been targeted by the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee and the Indiana House Democratic Caucus as crucial for weakening the Republican supermajority in the Indiana General Assembly.—
Doug Ross,
Chicago Tribune,
23 May 2026
Verb
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The Vietnam War and Watergate had spawned a paralyzing sense of national distrust, and New Hollywood had reflected that reality beautifully but pessimistically.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
23 May 2026
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To him, these alliances resemble the tiny Lilliputians trying to bind the giant Gulliver with paralyzing strings.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Time,
11 May 2026
Verb
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One lawmaker Lackey’s unofficial bill title wasn’t lost upon was Assemblymember Isaac Bryan, D-Jefferson Park, a lawmaker who has spoken publicly about overcoming systemic barriers in his own life as a Black man and has centered his political career largely on criminal justice reform.—
Andrew Graham
May 28,
Sacbee.com,
28 May 2026
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That’s because the Phillies (29-27) stand as a serious threat in the wild-card races, and overcoming the Dodgers in the West race just isn’t realistic.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 May 2026
Verb
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But Romania has remained cautious in downing errant drones, which can pose risks to populated areas.—
Stephen McGrath,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
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In December 2024, Ukraine’s military intelligence agency released footage appearing to show a Magura V5 naval drone armed with R-73 air-to-air missiles downing a Russian Mi-8 helicopter over the Black Sea near occupied Crimea.—
David Kirichenko,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
Verb
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This caused the alpha-molybdenum trioxide to buckle under the stress, while at the same time softening the silica underneath.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
24 May 2026
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But some hotel bookings appear to be softening.—
Chris Isidore,
CNN Money,
24 May 2026
Verb
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Congress can pursue fiscal responsibility without undermining one of the most focused and effective nutrition programs in the federal government.—
Sam Raus,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 May 2026
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If organizations aren’t careful, their approach to AI will split their workforce into haves and have-nots, undermining the technology’s benefits.—
Matt Rosenbaum,
Fortune,
29 May 2026
Verb
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This allows longer cask time without overwhelming the spirit with oak.—
Joseph V Micallef,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
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Now the Knicks are overwhelming a Cavaliers team that looks completely overmatched by the moment.—
Kristian Winfield,
Sun Sentinel,
25 May 2026
Verb
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His perfect parade was broken up by an error in the fourth inning when miscommunication between Andy Pages and Kyle Tucker led to Trea Turner’s fly ball glancing off Tucker’s glove and dropping to the warning track uncaught.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
30 May 2026
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As vehicles drive by on a nearby road, he can be seen dropping to the ground.—
Tim Stelloh,
NBC news,
30 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Prostrating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prostrating. Accessed 31 May. 2026.
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