prostrate 1 of 2

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as in prone
lying with the face downwards the suspects lay prostrate on the floor while the police searched the room

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

prostrate

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verb

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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective prostrate differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of prostrate are prone, recumbent, and supine. While all these words mean "lying down," prostrate implies lying full-length as in submission, defeat, or physical collapse.

a runner fell prostrate at the finish line

When would prone be a good substitute for prostrate?

While in some cases nearly identical to prostrate, prone implies a position with the front of the body turned toward the supporting surface.

push-ups require a prone position

Where would recumbent be a reasonable alternative to prostrate?

The words recumbent and prostrate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, recumbent implies the posture of one sleeping or resting.

a patient comfortably recumbent in a hospital bed

When could supine be used to replace prostrate?

While the synonyms supine and prostrate are close in meaning, supine implies lying on one's back and suggests inertness or abjectness.

lying supine on the couch

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 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
  • King Charles cant get involved in Prince Harrys security woes: author Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine and author of ‘My Mother and I,’ explains why the monarch is too exhausted to deal with his younger son’s ongoing court battle.
    Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 8 Apr. 2025
  • Factors like dehydration, sugar crashes, caffeine withdrawal and tolerance, and sleep cycle disruption can actually leave you more exhausted after an energy drink.
    Laura Dorwart, Verywell Health, 4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • However, a weaker dollar, resulting from tariffs and other policies, makes that harder for exporters.
    Brendan Coffey, Sportico.com, 4 Apr. 2025
  • After seven episodes of pained teeth-gritting and wide-eyed astonishment, he’s found closure in confronting the man who killed his father (or not) and finding only a weak old guy too sickly to punch.
    Eliana Dockterman, Time, 4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Are people who are prone to ideology taking in less information?
    Matt Richtel, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025
  • Werewolf cats are also prone to some health conditions, including lymphocytic mural folliculitis.
    John W. Dean, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • One way that could happen would be for foreign countries to weaken their currency to make the same product cheaper in dollars for tariff purposes, without raising the end cost to the consumer.
    Brendan Coffey, Sportico.com, 4 Apr. 2025
  • More broadly, consumer sentiment has declined and retail sales growth has weakened, reflecting the uncertainty of customers over where the economy is headed.
    Harry Holzer, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Soon, failure to hit your daily goals will sound much worse than any of the noise that used to paralyze you.
    Kevin Kruse, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
  • The vote has thrown the House into disarray and paralyzed the chamber, leaving Johnson to find a way to break the impasse.
    Lauren Peller, ABC News, 3 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • In my opinion, today's consumers are overwhelmed by noise—too many offers, messages and distractions.
    Ali Payani, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025
  • The book was a tale of heroic resistance, but stretched across so many years of television, the bursts of rebellion were overwhelmed by long periods of suffering.
    Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 8 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • As another slate of tornadoes, large hail and destructive wind gusts approaches on Wednesday, see the havoc left from the weekend storms, from wrecked cars and downed powerlines to torn walls and a trampoline blown across a street.
    Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2025
  • Russia's Defense Ministry said Tuesday that its forces downed three Ukrainian drones overnight over the territory of its western Bryansk region.
    David Brennan, ABC News, 1 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • In their best offensive performance of the season against an admittedly tired and overmatched opponent, the Warriors had season highs in points and assists (42) and committed only 13 turnovers.
    Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 1 Apr. 2025
  • Here is a puzzle that should bring back memories for many solvers: settling down into a spacious middle seat, groping for seatbelts, suffering through the same tired safety notices.
    Sam Corbin, New York Times, 1 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Prostrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prostrate. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.

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