From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishfall victim to somebody/somethingfall victim to somebody/somethingwritten a) to be attacked, killed etc by someone, or to get a particular illness, especially one that kills One theory is that the hostages fell victim to bandits. b) to be badly affected or destroyed by a situation Many small businesses have fallen victim to the recession. → victim
Examples from the Corpus
fall victim to somebody/something• And dying for a drink.The badger falls victim to the drought.• Bill Vaughan, returned the favor last year after the Baptist church fell victim to arson.• Not one has ever fallen victim to a gangland-style hit after coming forward with solid information.• Even Jim Harrick fell victim to the mood.• For one thing, government economic statistics have fallen victim to the fiscal paralysis in Washington.• Numbers of large mammals, including elephants, will have fallen victim to booby traps and land-mines.• Many of you who do use your talents and prosper in the business may fall victim to its pressures.• Don't allow yourself to fall victim to self-fulfilling prophecy. 