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
Be careful not to fall prey to illusions that seem too good to be true.
—
Valerie Mesa, People.com, 28 Jan. 2025
But just as familiarity often breeds contempt, the current bromance could well fall prey to the kind of reality-show competition that Donald J. Trump has long seemed to encourage.
—The Styles Desk, New York Times, 29 Dec. 2024
Prang also warned homeowners not to fall prey to scams from third parties promising additional property tax relief for a fee.
—Liam Dillon, Los Angeles Times, 18 Jan. 2025
This increases our reliance on technical preventative controls and response and recovery capabilities should a user inadvertently fall prey to a social engineering attempt.
—James Blake, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for be/fall prey to 
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Valerie Mesa, People.com, 28 Jan. 2025
But just as familiarity often breeds contempt, the current bromance could well fall prey to the kind of reality-show competition that Donald J. Trump has long seemed to encourage.
—The Styles Desk, New York Times, 29 Dec. 2024
Prang also warned homeowners not to fall prey to scams from third parties promising additional property tax relief for a fee.
—Liam Dillon, Los Angeles Times, 18 Jan. 2025
This increases our reliance on technical preventative controls and response and recovery capabilities should a user inadvertently fall prey to a social engineering attempt.
—James Blake, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
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 8 Feb. 2025.
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