The discussion below emphasizes the North American usage of English prepositions. 

1. The meanings of prepositions

The table below gives the most usual meanings of English prepositions. Each meaning is illustrated by an example.

About 

1. On the subject of: This is a story about elephants. 

2. Approximately: He is about ten years old.

Above 

1. Higher than; over: The plane flew above the clouds. 

2. Earlier on a page: There is a heading above each diagram.

Across 

1. From one side to the other: We walked across the field. 

2. On the other side of: There is a store across the street.

After 

1. Later in time: after ten o'clock; after lunch 

2. Later in a series: Q comes after P in the alphabet. 

3. In pursuit of: The dog ran after the cat.

Against 

1. In opposition to: Theft is against the law. 

2. Touching; supported by: I leaned my bicycle against the wall.

Along 

1. Following the length of: We walked along the road.

Among 

1. Within a group: The money was shared among three people.

Note: In formal English, among is usually used only when referring to more than two persons or things. In contrast, between is used when referring to two persons or things.

Around 

1. Circling something: We walked around the block. 

2. Surrounding: There is a fence around the garden. 

3. In different parts of: I looked around the house for the keys. 

4. In the other direction: We turned around and went back home. 

5. Approximately: He is around six feet tall.

At 

1. A specific location: at 23 Chestnut Street; at the park 

2. A point in time: at 5 o'clock; at Christmas 

3. A condition: at peace; at war; at rest 

4. An activity: at work; at school; at play 

5. Towards: Look at someone; wave at someone

Note: When referring to a specific location or to a point in time, at is usually used. When referring to a certain street or a certain day, on is usually used. When referring to a location as an area, or when referring to a unit of time longer than a day, in is usually used. 

e.g. at Christmas; on Christmas day; in the Christmas holidays

Before 

1. Earlier in time: before two o'clock; before Christmas 

2. Earlier in a series: S comes before T in the alphabet.

Behind 

1. At the back of: The little girl hid behind her mother. 

2. Late: I am behind in my work. 

3. Cause; origin: Who was behind that idea?

Below 

1. Lower than; under: below freezing; below sea level 

2. Later on a page: Footnotes are provided below the text.

Beneath 

1. Lower than; below: beneath the earth

Beside 

1. Next to; at the side of: I sit beside her in class.

Besides 

1. Also; as well as: We study other languages besides English.

Note the differing meanings of beside and besides. Beside is usually used with reference to a physical location.

Between 

1. An intermediate location: Toronto lies between Montreal and Vancouver. 

2. An intermediate time: between Christmas and New Year's Day 

3. Intermediate in a series: B comes between A and C in the alphabet. 

4. An intermediate amount: between five and ten people 

5. Within a group of two: The money was shared between two people.

Beyond 

1. Farther than: The mountains lie beyond the horizon. 

2. Further than; exceeding: That was beyond my expectations.

But 

1. Except: I have read all but the last chapter.

Note: But is used more often as a conjunction than as a preposition.

By 

1. Near: a house by the sea 

2. Past: He waved as he drove by the house. 

3. Not later than: Try to finish the work by next week. 

4. In units of: cheaper by the dozen; sold by weight 

5. Through the means of: travel by plane; written by him

Note: By is often used in combination with verbs in the Passive Voice.

Concerning 

1. Connected with; about: He studies everything concerning trees.

Despite 

1. In spite of: We walked downtown despite the rain.

Down 

1. To a lower position: The ball rolled down the hill. 

2. Further along: He lives down the street.

During 

1. Throughout a period: She works during the day. 

2. Sometime within a period: An accident occurred during the night.

Except 

1. Not including: I have visited everyone except him.

For 

1. Duration of time: We walked for two hours. 

2. Distance: I walked for five kilometers. 

3. Purpose: I bought this jacket for you. 

4. In the direction of: She left for New York. 

5. In favor of: We are for the proposal. 

6. Considering: The boy is clever for his age.

From 

1. Place of origin: We left from Boston; he comes from Mexico 

2. Start of a period of time: from now on; from yesterday until today 

3. Start of a range: From 20 to 30 people were present. 

4. Cause: He suffers from nervousness. 

5. Source: I first heard the story from you.

In 

1. Place thought of as an area: in London; in Europe 

2. Within a location: in the room; in the building 

3. Large units of time: That happened in March, in 1992. 

4. Within a certain time: I will return in an hour. 

5. By means of: write in pencil; speak in English 

6. Condition: in doubt; in a hurry; in secret 

7. A member of: He is in the orchestra; in the navy 

8. Wearing: the boy in the blue shirt 

9. With reference to: lacking in ideas; rich in oil

Inside 

1. Within: They are inside the house.

Into 

1. To the inside of: We stepped into the room. 

2. Change of condition: The boy changed into a man.

Like 

1. Resembling: That looks like him. 

2. Appearing possible: It looks like rain. 

3. Be in a suitable mood for: I feel like going swimming.

Minus 

1. Less: Three minus two equals one.

Near 

1. Close to: near the school; near the ocean

Of 

1. Location: east of here; the middle of the road 

2. Possession: a friend of mine; the sound of music 

3. Part of a group: one of us; a member of the team 

4. Measurement: a cup of milk; two meters of snow

Off 

1. Not on; away from: Please keep off the grass. 

2. At some distance from: There are islands off the coast.

On 

1. Touching the surface of: on the table; on the wall 

2. A certain day: That happened on Sunday, on the 6th of June. 

3. A certain street: on South Street 

4. About: a book on engineering 

5. A state or condition: on strike; on fire; on holiday 

6. By means of: live on a pension; shown on television

Onto 

1. To a position on: The child climbed onto the table.

Opposite 

1. Facing: The library is opposite the fire station.

Out of 

1. To the outside of: She went out of the room. 

2. From among: We won two games out of three. 

3. Motive: We spoke to them out of politeness. 

4. Material: The bridge is made out of steel. 

5. Beyond: out of control; out of danger

Outside 

1. On the outer side of: outside the house 

2. Beyond the limits of: outside my experience

Over 

1. Above; higher than: There are cupboards over the sink. 

2. Covering: We spread an extra blanket over the bed. 

3. Across: I jumped over a puddle. 

4. More than: It cost over ten dollars; it took over an hour 

5. During: I saw him several times over the past week. 

6. By means of: We made plans over the telephone.

Past 

1. Up to and beyond: I walked past the house. 

2. After (in time): It was past 2 o'clock; half past two 

3. Beyond: past belief

Per 

1. For each: 60 kilometers per hour; price per liter

Plus 

1. With the addition of: Six plus four equals ten.

Since 

1. From a specific time in the past: I had been waiting since two o'clock. 

2. From a past time until now: I have been waiting here since noon.

Note: Because of its meaning, the preposition since is usually used in combination with a perfect tense. It should be noted that the preposition for can also be used with a perfect tense. However, when used with reference to time, for is usually followed by a phrase referring to a period of time; whereas since is usually followed by a phrase referring to a specific time. 

e.g. I have known him for six months. 

I have known him since January. 

In the first example, for is followed by six months, which refers to a period of time. In the second example, since is followed by January, which refers to a specific time.

Through 

1. Across; from end to end of: the main road through town 

2. For the whole of a period: I slept through the night. 

3. By means of: Skill improves through practice.

Throughout 

1. In every part of: throughout the world 

2. For the whole of a period: throughout the winter

Till 

Note: Till can be used instead of until. However, at the beginning of a sentence, until is usually used.

To 

1. In the direction of: Turn to the right. 

2. Destination: I am going to Rome. 

3. Until: from Monday to Friday; five minutes to ten 

4. Compared with: They prefer hockey to soccer. 

5. With indirect object: Please give it to me. 

6. As part of infinitive: I like to ski; he wants to help. 

7. In order to: We went to the store to buy soap.

Toward (or Towards) 

1. In the direction of: We walked toward the center of town. 

2. Near; just before (time): It rained towards evening.

Under 

1. Beneath: under the desk; under the trees 

2. Less than: Under 100 people were present. 

3. In circumstances of: under repair; under way; under discussion

Underneath 

1. Below, under: underneath the carpet

Until 

1. Up to a certain time: She will stay until Friday; until 5 p.m.

Upon 

Note: On and upon have similar meanings. Upon may be used in certain expressions, as in once upon a time, and following certain verbs, as in to rely upon someone.

Up 

1. To a higher place: We went up the stairs. 

2. In a higher place: She lives up the hill.

Up to 

1. As far as: up to now; I have read up to page 100. 

2. Depending on: The decision is up to you. 

3. As good as; ready for: His work is up to standard.

Versus 

1. Against (sports, legal): The next game is England versus Australia.

Via 

1. By way of: He went to Los Angeles via San Francisco.

With 

1. Accompanying: He came with her; I have my keys with me. 

2. Having; containing: Here is a book with a map of the island. 

3. By means of; using: I repaired the shoes with glue. 

4. Manner: with pleasure; with ease; with difficulty 

5. Because of: We were paralyzed with fear.

Within 

1. Inside of: within twenty minutes; within one kilometer

Without 

1. Not having: Do not leave without your coat; without money

See Exercises 1 and 2. 

2. Prepositions used in idioms

Below are examples of idioms consisting of prepositional phrases. The following selection of idioms emphasizes those used in North American English. The meaning of each idiom is indicated after the colon.

At 

not at all: not in any way 

at all times: always 

at any rate: whatever happens 

keep someone at arm's length: avoid becoming closely involved with someone 

at close quarters: very near 

at one's disposal: to be used as one wishes 

at a distance: not near 

at fault: causing something wrong 

at first: at the beginning 

see at a glance: see immediately 

at hand: near; readily available 

at last: finally, after some delay 

at a loss: uncertain what to do or say 

at the mercy of: without defense against 

at the moment: now 

at once: immediately 

at present: now 

at rest: not moving 

at risk: threatened by danger or loss 

at short notice: with little warning 

at stake: to be won or lost 

at a stretch: continuously 

at that rate: under those circumstances 

at this point: at this place; at this moment 

at the wheel: in control

Behind 

behind the scenes: (of persons) influencing events secretly; (in a theater) behind the stage 

behind schedule: not on time

Beside 

be beside oneself: lose one's self-control 

beside the point: irrelevant

Between 

read between the lines: deduce a meaning that is not actually expressed

Beyond 

beyond help: unable to be helped 

beyond a joke: too annoying to be amusing 

beyond reproach: perfect; blameless

By 

by accident: not deliberately 

by all means: by any possible method 

bit by bit: gradually 

by chance: by accident; without planning 

by courtesy of: with the help or permission of 

win by default: win because of lack of competition 

by degrees: gradually 

perform by ear: perform (music) by listening to the sound, without referring to written music 

by hand: without the use of machinery 

by heart: from memory 

little by little: gradually 

by means of: by using 

by mistake: accidentally 

by no means: not at all 

one by one: one at a time 

by oneself: alone 

side by side: beside one another 

by the way: incidentally (used to introduce an unrelated topic of conversation) 

by word of mouth: orally

For 

once and for all: for the last time (e.g. used when giving someone a final warning) 

for certain: definitely; without doubt 

for a change: for the sake of variety 

for example: as an illustration 

for fun: for the sake of enjoyment 

for good: permanently 

for good measure: in addition to the necessary amount 

for instance: for example; as an illustration 

for keeps: (colloquial) permanently 

for a living: as a profession 

for now: temporarily 

run for office: compete for an elected position 

for one thing: because of one reason (out of several) 

for the sake of: for the benefit of; for the purpose of 

for sale: intended to be sold 

for sure: definitely (more colloquial than for certain) 

food for thought: something which makes one think 

play for time: delay doing something in the hope that the situation will improve 

for the time being: until some other arrangement is made 

ask for trouble: act in a dangerous or foolish way 

for a while: for a period of time 

word for word: exactly as said or written

From 

from afar: from a distance 

from all sides: from all directions 

from head to foot: (of a person) completely; all over 

from scratch: from the beginning 

from time to time: occasionally

In 

in addition to: as well as 

in advance: before 

be in agreement with: have the same opinion as 

in any case: whatever happens 

in brief: in a few words 

in bulk: (of goods) in large amounts; not in packages 

be in charge of: have responsibility for 

in common: shared by all members of a group 

in control: having the power to direct something 

in the course of: during 

in danger: likely to be harmed 

in a daze: unable to think clearly; confused 

in debt: owing money 

in demand: (of goods or persons) desired by many people 

in depth: (investigate something) thoroughly 

in detail: (explain something) thoroughly 

in disgrace: regarded with disapproval because of having done something wrong 

in the distance: far away 

in doubt: uncertain 

in duplicate: so that there are two identical copies (of a document) 

in earnest: seriously; in a determined way 

in effect: (of rules) operating 

in the end: finally 

in fact: in reality; really 

in fashion: fashionable; accepted as being the most desirable and up to date 

in favor of: supporting (an idea) 

in flames: burning, with visible flames 

in a flash: very quickly; suddenly 

in full: without omitting anything 

in general: usually; as a whole 

hand in hand: (of persons) holding hands; (of related situations) occurring together 

in a hurry: trying to accomplish something quickly 

in jest: as a joke 

in kind: (payment) in goods rather than in money 

in itself: without reference to anything else 

in league with: (of persons) joined together with (usually for a dishonest purpose) 

be in the limelight: be the focus of attention; receive great publicity 

in the long run: in the end; eventually 

in the long term: looking ahead to the distant future 

leave someone in the lurch: abandon someone who is in a difficult situation 

be in the minority: be in the smaller of two groups 

in mint condition: (of manufactured goods) perfect; brand-new 

in a minute: soon 

in a moment: soon; quickly 

set something in motion: start something going 

nip something in the bud: put an end to something before it gets properly started 

in no time: very soon; very quickly 

in order of: arranged according to 

in order to: for the purpose of 

in part: to some degree 

in particular: especially 

in power: (of a political party) holding office 

in practice: able to do something well because of recent practice; in reality (opposite of in theory) 

in print: (of a book) printed and available from the publisher 

in private: not in front of other people 

in public: openly; not in private 

in reality: really 

in reserve: saved for later use 

in retrospect: looking back over past events 

in return for: as repayment for 

be in the right: be correct 

in season: (of fruit or vegetables) readily available at that time of year 

in a second: soon; quickly 

in short supply: scarce; not easily obtainable 

in sight: able to be seen 

in stock: (of goods at a store) present and available 

in that case: if that is true 

in theory: ideally; according to theoretical considerations 

be in time: not be late 

in touch with in: communication with; informed about 

in triplicate: so that there are three identical copies (of a document) 

be in trouble: be in a difficult situation; be blamed or punished for doing something wrong 

in tune: at the correct pitch 

act in unison: act together 

in vain: without success 

in the vicinity of: near 

once in a while: occasionally 

in words of one syllable: (explain something) clearly and simply 

in working order: able to function properly 

in the wrong: responsible for an error; guilty

Inside 

inside out: with the inner side out; thoroughly

Into 

paint oneself into a corner: take a course of action which greatly narrows one's future choices of action 

go into hiding: hide oneself 

get into a rut: get into a fixed and uninteresting way of life 

get into trouble: get into a difficult situation; do something deserving blame or punishment

Of 

of course: certainly; as one would expect; as everyone knows 

hard of hearing: somewhat deaf 

next of kin: nearest relative or relatives 

of one's own accord: voluntarily; on one's own initiative 

of one's own free will: voluntarily; by choice 

one's point of view: one's opinion about something 

right of way: public right to use a path or road; (of road traffic) right to proceed before others 

rule of thumb: a simple way to calculate what procedure to follow, based on extensive experience, rather than on theoretical considerations

Off 

go off the air: (of radio or television) stop broadcasting 

off duty: not engaged in one's regular work 

off one's hands: no longer one's responsibility 

off and on: from time to time 

off the record: say something privately, that is not to be officially recorded 

off the track: following a wrong line of thought or action

On 

on account of: because of 

be on the air: (of radio or television) be in the process of broadcasting 

on the alert: ready to act 

be on all fours: (of a person) be on hands and knees 

on the average: usually; normally 

on behalf of: for; in the interests of 

on board: on a ship or airplane 

on business: as part of one's work 

on condition that: only if; provided that 

on demand: when asked for 

on display: being exhibited 

on duty: engaged in one's regular work 

on fire: burning 

to go on foot: to walk 

be on one's guard: be alert and ready to meet an attack 

on hand: available 

on loan: lent and not yet returned 

shoot on location: (of a movie) film in natural surroundings, not in a studio 

on the lookout: watchful 

put something on the map: cause something to become well-known 

get on one's nerves: annoy; irritate 

on no account: absolutely not 

on the one hand: (used to introduce one side of an argument) 

on one's own: alone; without help 

act on one's own initiative: act independently, without orders from anyone else 

on order: requested but not yet delivered 

on the other hand: (used to introduce a contrasting side of an argument) 

act on principle: do something to support a policy 

on purpose: deliberately 

go on record: say something which is to be officially recorded 

on sale: being sold at a lower price than usual 

on schedule: at the correct time; as planned or predicted 

on second thoughts: after thinking further about something 

on a shoestring: with a very small amount of money 

be on the spot: be where important events are taking place; be placed in an awkward situation 

on the spur of the moment: on a sudden impulse 

go off on a tangent: change suddenly to a new line of thought or action 

on time: at the correct time 

walk on tiptoe: walk on the toes and balls of the feet 

accept something on trust: accept something without proof 

on the verge of: very close to; about to 

on the whole: taking everything into consideration

Out of 

out of the blue: unexpectedly 

out of breath: (after running) panting from a shortage of oxygen 

out of character: unlike a person's known character 

out of control: not able to be regulated or guided 

out of danger: safe 

out of date: no longer used; old-fashioned; (of news) no longer true 

out of debt: having paid one's debts 

be out of one's depth: be unable to handle a situation because of lack of experience 

out of doors: in the open air; not in a building 

out of fashion: not fashionable; not presently in common use 

out of hand: not under control 

out of harm's way: safe 

out of line with: in disagreement with 

be out of one's mind: be insane 

out of order: not functioning properly; (at a formal meeting) not behaving according to the rules 

out of the ordinary: unusual 

out of place: unsuitable 

out of practice: unable to do something as well as one has in past, because of lack of recent practice 

out of print: (of a book) no longer available from the publisher 

out of proportion: too big or too small; not having the appropriate relationship to something 

out of the question: impossible; not to be considered 

out of season: (of fruit or vegetables) not readily available at that time of year 

out of shape: (of persons) not in top condition because of lack of exercise 

out of sight: hidden, not able to be seen 

out of stock: (of goods at a store) temporarily unavailable 

out of style: not fashionable 

out of touch: with not in communication with; not informed about 

out of town: having temporarily left town 

out of trouble: not in trouble 

out of tune: not at the correct pitch 

out of work: no longer having employment

To 

to all intents and purposes: in all important ways 

to a certain extent: partly 

to date: so far; until now 

up to date: current; modern 

see eye to eye with: agree entirely with 

take something to heart: be much affected by something 

made to measure: exactly suitable; (of clothes) made for a certain person 

keep something to oneself: not tell anyone 

to the point: relevant

Under 

under age: below the age of being legally permitted to do something 

be under arrest: be held prisoner and charged with wrongdoing 

under the auspices of: with the patronage of; supported by 

under one's breath: in a whisper 

under the circumstances: because this is true 

under consideration: being thought about 

under control: able to be regulated or guided 

under cover of: protected by; undetected because of 

under fire: being shot at; being criticized 

under the impression that: having the idea that 

be under the influence of: be affected by 

be under oath: have sworn to tell the truth 

under observation: being watched carefully 

under restraint: prevented from doing something

Up 

have something up one's sleeve: have a secret idea or plan in reserve

With 

with impunity: without risk of injury or punishment 

with the naked eye: without using a magnifying lens 

with no strings attached: (of help given) with no conditions; to be used freely 

take with a pinch of salt: not believe completely 

with regard to: concerning; about 

with respect to: concerning; about 

tarred with the same brush: having the same faults 

with a vengeance: very much; more than usual

Within 

within limits: to a certain extent; not too much 

within living memory: within the memory of people now alive

Without 

go without saying: be obvious

See Exercises 3 and 4. 

3. Nouns followed by prepositions

The following are examples of nouns which are usually followed by certain prepositions. In the case of phrases which are idioms, the meanings of the phrases are indicated in brackets.

Against  

take precautions against  

For  

have affection for make allowances for  

have compassion for an excuse for  

a reason for have a reputation for  

have respect for have sympathy for  

have a talent for lie in wait for (ambush)  

pave the way for (prepare for)  

From  

absence from  

In  

have confidence in have faith in  

have an interest in take part in  

make progress in  

Into  

have insight into  

Of  

have an abhorrence of an acknowledgement of  

take advantage of take care of  

take command of evidence of  

an example of an excess of  

make a fool of make fun of (ridicule)  

have an impression of a lack of  

neglect of a number of  

a pair of be part of  

a possibility of make a practice of (do often)  

a proof of a quantity of  

recognition of a recollection of  

a result of run the risk of (risk)  

catch sight of (see suddenly) a sign of  

a survey of a symbol of  

a symptom of a token of  

make use of a way of  

wash one's hands of (stop caring  

about and dealing with)  

On  

an attack on dependence on  

make an impression on play a joke on  

shed light on (explain) have pity on  

To  

have access to pay attention to  

an objection to a reply to  

a response to lay siege to (besiege)  

shut one's eyes to (deliberately  

ignore a problem)  

Toward or Towards  

animosity toward(s) an attitude toward(s)  

With  

have a connection with find fault with (criticize)  

fall in love with change places with

See Exercise 5.  

4. Adjectives and verbs in the passive voice followed by prepositions

In some cases different prepositions can be used without causing a change in meaning. For instance, the following examples both have the same meaning. 

e.g. I was angry at them. 

I was angry with them.

However, in many cases, the use of different prepositions causes a change in meaning. For instance, the past participle protected is typically followed by the preposition from. However, like many other past participles, protected may also be followed by the preposition by, where by serves to introduce the performer of the action expressed by the past participle. 

e.g. The city is protected from the soldiers. 

The city is protected by the soldiers. 

The first example indicates that the soldiers are a threat to the city; whereas the second example indicates that the soldiers are protecting the city.

The following are examples of predicate adjectives and past participles of verbs in the Passive Voice which are usually followed by certain prepositions. In addition, it should be kept in mind that most verbs in the Passive Voice can be followed by a phrase beginning with the preposition by.

About  

anxious about concerned about  

curious about depressed about  

doubtful about enthusiastic about  

excited about happy about  

pleased about wrong about  

worried about  

At  

adept at alarmed at  

amazed at overjoyed at  

shocked at surprised at  

Between  

torn between  

By  

accompanied by caused by  

guided by manufactured by  

obsessed by written by  

For  

blamed for eligible for  

famous for fit for  

known for late for  

noted for praised for  

punished for qualified for  

ready for responsible for  

ripe for sorry for  

suitable for  

From  

absent from apart from  

derived from descended from  

detached from different from  

distinct from exempt from  

far from isolated from  

omitted from protected from  

removed from safe from  

separated from  

In  

absorbed in disappointed in  

engaged in immersed in  

interested in involved in  

Of  

accused of afraid of  

ashamed of aware of  

capable of certain of  

composed of conscious of  

convinced of deprived of  

devoid of fond of  

ignorant of independent of  

jealous of proud of  

regardless of reminded of  

sure of suspicious of  

suspected of terrified of  

tired of worthy of  

On  

based on dependent on  

To  

acceptable to accessible to  

accustomed to adapted to  

addicted to adjacent to  

attached to attributable to  

close to committed to  

comparable to dedicated to  

detrimental to devoted to  

due to equal to  

equivalent to essential to  

exposed to faithful to  

favorable to foreign to  

impervious to indifferent to  

indispensable to inferior to  

kind to loyal to  

next to obedient to  

obliged to oblivious to  

opposed to parallel to  

partial to peculiar to  

preferable to prior to  

proportional to reconciled to  

reduced to related to  

relative to relevant to  

resigned to resistant to  

restricted to senior to  

sensitive to similar to  

subject to subordinate to  

suited to superior to  

susceptible to tied to  

Toward or Towards  

protective toward(s)  

With  

acquainted with affiliated with  

associated with besieged with  

compared with compatible with  

confronted with consistent with  

covered with cursed with  

exasperated with familiar with  

finished with identified with  

infatuated with patient with  

pleased with satisfied with  

synonymous with threatened with

See Exercise 6. 

5. Verbs followed by prepositions

The following are examples of verbs which are often followed by certain prepositions.

About  

care about complain about  

forget about lie about (tell a lie)  

reminisce about talk about  

think about wonder about  

worry about  

Against  

discriminate against protest against  

react against rebel against  

turn against  

At  

aim at bark at  

connive at frown at  

gaze at glare at  

growl at hint at  

look at point at  

shoot at smile at  

snap at sneer at  

stare at wave at  

wink at  

For  

apply for apologize for  

beg for blame for  

budget for hope for  

long for look for  

mourn for pay for  

plead for pose for  

pray for prepare for  

press for register for  

search for shop for  

substitute for vouch for  

wait for wish for  

From  

abstain from benefit from  

deduct from derive from  

desist from deter from  

detract from deviate from  

differ from divert from  

escape from extricate from  

flee from infer from  

profit from protect from  

quote from radiate from  

recoil from recover from  

refrain from shrink from  

stem from suffer from  

In  

believe in engage in  

indulge in intervene in  

invest in participate in  

persist in succeed in  

Into  

change into convert into  

delve into dip into  

develop into divide into  

fall into merge into  

plunge into pry into  

sink into transform into  

Of  

approve of beware of  

conceive of consist of  

deprive of die of  

disapprove of smell of  

On  

blame on concentrate on  

depend on impinge on  

intrude on pounce on  

reflect on rely on  

report on spy on  

subsist on thrive on  

Over  

preside over trip over  

To  

adapt to adhere to  

adjust to amount to  

belong to conform to  

contribute to correspond to  

listen to object to  

pertain to prefer to  

refer to relate to  

respond to resort to  

revert to submit to  

subscribe to succumb to  

surrender to yield to  

With  

agree with associate with  

collaborate with combine with  

communicate with comply with  

concur with consort with  

contend with cooperate with  

cope with correspond with  

flirt with mingle with  

share with sympathize with