be/fall prey to
idiom
1
: to be killed by (an animal, disease, etc.)
The deer fell prey to coyotes.
Many people fell prey to disease.
2
: to be harmed or affected in a bad way by (someone or something)
After the accident, she was prey to all kinds of anxieties.
Some of his friends fell prey to drugs.
Examples of be/fall prey to in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
With the incoming Trump administration’s threat of mass deportations, officials and advocates had worried that Floyd Bennett Field, which is within the city’s bounds but on federal land controlled by the National Park Service, could be prey to immigration authorities looking to round up migrants.
—
Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News, 10 Dec. 2024
But even favourable odds sometimes fall prey to random circumstances.
—Arpon Basu, The Athletic, 1 Dec. 2024
Stress and well-being tracking: My dad, an engineer and business school professor who is not one to fall prey to trends, has worn an Oura Ring for the past three years and continues to prefer it over any fitness tracker on the market.
—Amy Fischer Ms, Rd, Health, 29 Nov. 2024
In particular, the Beyhive is buzzing about whether Beyoncé‘s planned halftime show during the streamer’s first-ever Christmas Day NFL two-fer might fall prey to similar buffering issues as the at-times pokey prizefight.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 22 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for be/fall prey to 
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Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News, 10 Dec. 2024
But even favourable odds sometimes fall prey to random circumstances.
—Arpon Basu, The Athletic, 1 Dec. 2024
Stress and well-being tracking: My dad, an engineer and business school professor who is not one to fall prey to trends, has worn an Oura Ring for the past three years and continues to prefer it over any fitness tracker on the market.
—Amy Fischer Ms, Rd, Health, 29 Nov. 2024
In particular, the Beyhive is buzzing about whether Beyoncé‘s planned halftime show during the streamer’s first-ever Christmas Day NFL two-fer might fall prey to similar buffering issues as the at-times pokey prizefight.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 22 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for be/fall prey to
Cite this Entry
“Be/fall prey to.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/be%2Ffall%20prey%20to. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
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