fall victim to

Meanings

1. 1phrasefixed phrase

   to be harmed, damaged, or affected badly by something, often without being able to prevent it

   Grammar: Used with a subject and followed by 'to' plus the cause of harm: fall victim to a disease.

   Patterns

   • fall victim to something
   • fall victim to someone

   Many small businesses fell victim to the sudden rise in energy costs.

   He fell victim to a scam that promised easy money.

   Older people are more likely to fall victim to this kind of fraud.

2. 2phrasefixed phrasefigurative

   to be destroyed, defeated, or removed by something such as a disease, a competitor, or a change

   Grammar: Often used about things, not people, when they are destroyed or replaced: The old bridge fell victim to the floods.

   Patterns

   • fall victim to something

   Several historic buildings fell victim to the fire.

   The company fell victim to a changing market and closed last year.

Common combinations

fall victim to a scam

She fell victim to a scam and lost her savings.

fall victim to disease

Whole communities fell victim to the disease.

fall victim to crime

People in the area are more likely to fall victim to crime.

fall victim to cuts

The project fell victim to government spending cuts.

Synonyms and how they differ

be a victim of

This is a more neutral way to say the same thing and does not suggest that the harm happened suddenly or through bad luck.

succumb to

This often means to die from an illness or to finally give in to pressure, so it is stronger and more formal than 'fall victim to'.

Word family

victim noun

a person who has been hurt or harmed by something

victimize verb

to treat someone unfairly or harm them because of who they are

Commonly confused: fall victim to or fall for?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “fall victim to”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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