1
as in inclined
having a tendency to be or act in a certain way he was prone to emotional outbursts under stress

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
as in prostrate
lying with the face downwards quickly subdue the suspect and get him into a prone position

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective prone contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of prone are exposed, liable, open, sensitive, subject, and susceptible. While all these words mean "being by nature or through circumstances likely to experience something adverse," prone stresses natural tendency or propensity to incur something.

prone to delay

When would exposed be a good substitute for prone?

The words exposed and prone are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, exposed suggests lack of protection or powers of resistance against something actually present or threatening.

exposed to infection

When is liable a more appropriate choice than prone?

In some situations, the words liable and prone are roughly equivalent. However, liable implies a possibility or probability of incurring something because of position, nature, or particular situation.

liable to get lost

In what contexts can open take the place of prone?

The synonyms open and prone are sometimes interchangeable, but open stresses a lack of barriers preventing incurrence.

a claim open to question

When can sensitive be used instead of prone?

The meanings of sensitive and prone largely overlap; however, sensitive implies a readiness to respond to or be influenced by forces or stimuli.

unduly sensitive to criticism

When could subject be used to replace prone?

The words subject and prone can be used in similar contexts, but subject implies an openness for any reason to something that must be suffered or undergone.

all reports are subject to review

Where would susceptible be a reasonable alternative to prone?

While the synonyms susceptible and prone are close in meaning, susceptible implies conditions existing in one's nature or individual constitution that make incurrence probable.

very susceptible to flattery

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 prone There may be no subset of leaders more prone to misperceptions of their foreign adversaries than the overconfident leadership of a dominant successful administration out of power for four years. Richard E. Vatz, Baltimore Sun, 26 Jan. 2025 Jobs are relatively nonexistent and the ones that are available are prone to put your life at risk anyway. Harrison Richlin, IndieWire, 24 Jan. 2025 There was a nice moment early on in the second set when Badosa fell to the floor while chasing a forehand and then gave a thumbs up while lying prone behind the baseline. Charlie Eccleshare, The Athletic, 23 Jan. 2025 Braids are considered protective hairstyles for tighter curl patterns that lack moisture and are prone to breakage. Leslie D. Rose, Parents, 14 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for prone 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prone
Adjective
  • People are far less inclined to help these passengers, wrote Blewett.
    Bella Stoddart,Monica Pitrelli, CNBC, 10 Feb. 2025
  • On both occasions, a teenager may be more inclined to pass to a more senior team-mate.
    Art de Roché, The Athletic, 7 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • To his right, where the prostrate body of a dying woman was jostled in the bloody fray.
    Dan Barry, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2025
  • On the sheer upper slopes of one of the world's most unforgiving peaks, mountaineers, determined to reach the world's second-highest summit in a record-breaking string of ascents, appear to step over the prostrate body of Muhammad Hassan - a Pakistani porter who later died.
    Eve Sampson, BostonGlobe.com, 12 Aug. 2023
Adjective
  • Sources say that talent fees for this year’s game are flat from last year, after years of going up like clockwork.
    Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Feb. 2025
  • Lily, who cried over a flimsy plastic Disney princess, will not care that the Disney paper dolls are flat.
    Judy Holmes, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • Another display Lynn created was carving out a bookcase in a couple of walls with kid-friendly map wallpaper in the back, and adding horizontal rods at the front of each shelf so the books could be displayed forward facing without falling to the floor.
    Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Feb. 2025
  • The zones colored in darker red indicate a faster downslope movement; the arrows represent the direction of horizontal motion; the white lines show the boundaries of the active landslide area as defined by the California Geological Survey in 2007.
    Kristan Hawkins, Newsweek, 7 Feb. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near prone

Cite this Entry

“Prone.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prone. Accessed 20 Feb. 2025.

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