fall prey to

Related to fall prey to: off-chance, defer to, in its entirety, pick up on, come to fruition, give rise to, give it a shot, fell prey

fall prey to (someone or something)

To have one's vulnerability exploited by someone or something, leading to harm, destruction, or manipulation; to become a victim of someone or something. It is unfortunately very common for elderly people to fall prey to online scam artists, who take advantage of their lack of technological know-how. Many major cities have fallen prey to terrorist activity in recent months.
See also: fall, prey
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

fall prey to

1 be hunted and killed by. 2 be vulnerable to or overcome by.
See also: fall, prey
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

be/fall ˈprey to something

(formal) be harmed or affected by something bad: He was often prey to doubt and despair. Thousands of small businesses are falling prey to high interest rates.
Prey is an animal, a bird, etc. that is hunted, killed and eaten by another animal.
See also: fall, prey, something
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

fall prey to

To be put into such a vulnerable position as to be at risk of harm, destruction, or invasion: a person who fell prey to swindlers; did not want the country to fall prey to terrorists.
See also: fall, prey
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition.
See also:
  • be prey to (someone or something)
  • be/fall prey to something
  • be/have done with somebody/something
  • be in line with (someone or something)
  • better of
  • (someone or something) promises well
  • be replaced by (someone or something)
  • be replaced with (someone or something)
  • begin with
  • begin with (someone or something)
References in periodicals archive
* James Dobson's Focus on the Family (FOF) has come up with a novel theory as to why so many political leaders seem to fall prey to sex scandals: Women on Capitol Hill dress too provocatively.
President Bush Promotes Dobson Prayer Event At White House Ceremony
Raymo explores the reasons why so many of us cling to antique cosmologies or fall prey to pseudoscientific scams, concluding that much of our desire for transcendence is rooted in the fear of death.
Skeptics and True Believers: The Exhilarating Connection Between Science and Religion
"The biggest reason that many new investment clubs fold within two years is because many members fall prey to a get-rich-quick mentality and they cash out early on, which creates animosity between members," explains Robert Lancaster, president of the seven-year-old New Freedom Investment Club in Durham, North Carolina.
In it to win it for the long haul: here are some final words on managing your investment club
Over time, however, these defenses themselves fall prey to attacks by radicals.
Radicals linked to aging via the brain
The Coordinated Issue Paper states that the "significance or materiality of the discount is a question of fact to be determined on a case-by-case basis." Thus, while it is likely that taxpayers that make deeply discounted purchases (such as the 60% and 94% discounted purchases in Hamilton Industries) will fall prey to separate item treatment, it is less clear that moderate or slight discounts should subject taxpayers to such a regime.
Coordinated Issue Paper released on bargain purchases
Sharks fall prey to sport and commercial fishing alike, and the one-two punch is having a serious impact on their numbers.
Who's the real killer?
The narrative, interrupted by prose-poem interludes, chronicles the struggles of the Joad family's life on a failing Oklahoma farm, their difficult journey to California, and their disillusionment once they arrive there and fall prey to a parasitic economic system.
Grapes of Wrath, The
"By shopping price, many businesses, particularly those within the real estate market, could fall prey to audits performed by consultants not necessarily qualified for particular projects."
National insurer warns of shortcuts in audits
He said that country, not individuals were important and the accountability should not fall prey to politics.
Political parties should weed out corrupt elements: Siraj
They pointed out that the people fall prey to heart, liver, bone, skin, intestines, hepatitis and cancer complications after drinking arsenic contaminated water.
90 million Pakistanis consuming poisonous water
Summary: New Delhi [India], Sept 2 (ANI): The newly-introduced Goods and Services Tax (GST) is creating operational and procedural issues for companies, the most recent to fall prey to the new tax regime being cement major ACC Ltd.
ACC bears the brunt of one rupee, forced to pay Rs.16.7 crore twice
Police have urged people not to fall prey to blackmailers and report them immediately.
Police arrest man who threatened girl, extorted money
These children, according to UNICEF, are denied parental care and can easily fall prey to kidnappers and human traffickers.
In the past ten years, 50 children aged up to 14, 30 of whom were girls, were reported missing