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
Thousands of Americans fall prey to medical identity theft scams each year, according to Security.org, with a large number of victims belonging to older age groups.
—
Theo Burman, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 June 2025
As Meta’s announcement correctly notes, passkeys can’t fall prey to phishing scams.
—Rob Pegoraro, PC Magazine, 19 June 2025
The list of projects that fall prey to the sunk cost fallacy are legion.
—Neil Senturia, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 June 2025
Even experienced teams can fall prey to common SDLC management mistakes, which can lead to delays, cost overruns, quality and security issues, and more.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for be/fall prey to
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Theo Burman, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 June 2025
As Meta’s announcement correctly notes, passkeys can’t fall prey to phishing scams.
—Rob Pegoraro, PC Magazine, 19 June 2025
The list of projects that fall prey to the sunk cost fallacy are legion.
—Neil Senturia, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 June 2025
Even experienced teams can fall prey to common SDLC management mistakes, which can lead to delays, cost overruns, quality and security issues, and more.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes, 18 Dec. 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 7 Aug. 2025.
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