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
  • Dell Technologies’ balance sheet appears relatively weak.
    Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
  • Meta Chief Legal Officer Jennifer Newstead called the case weak and a deterrent to tech investment in a blog post on Sunday.
    Jody Godoy, USA Today, 14 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
  • Agreeing to a pick swap with the Lynx weakened the value of the pick that the Sky traded away.
    Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 14 Apr. 2025
  • One by one, the sectors defect, and, eventually, the leader may weaken and their government may fall.
    Julia Angwin, New Yorker, 12 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The damage was fractures to both hands, his right arm, left and right leg and some broken ribs, but the multiple injuries to his spinal cord were the most devastating of all, paralyzing his legs.
    Ed Garsten, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025
  • However, so much has happened since 2020 — the year that a pandemic paralyzed the country — that Idahoans could be forgiven if their memories of the event are a little hazy.
    Sally Krutzig, Idaho Statesman, 8 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Local permitting departments, overwhelmed by the demand, are struggling to keep up—delaying the return of many residents.
    Raja Krishnamoorthi, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Apr. 2025
  • Implementing spaced repetition techniques—revisiting challenging concepts at strategic intervals—further enhances retention without overwhelming your cognitive resources.
    Dr. Aviva Legatt, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • McGhie hit 20 3s in the first round, 21 in the semifinals and 20 in the championship round to defeat Missouri’s Caleb Gill, who downed 15 3s in the title round.
    Bill Center, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Apr. 2025
  • Please send your reports of hail and/or wind damage, including trees or large limbs downed, by calling the National Weather Service office in Newport at 1-800-889-6889.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Robbins was mostly Black, a place built by Black people who were tired of racial conflict in Chicago.
    D. Watkins, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2025
  • Was Michelle ever tired of using the vibrator all the time in the show?
    Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 9 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Prostrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prostrate. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.

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