600+ Useful Prepositional Phrase Examples in English

What is a Prepositional Phrase?

Prepositional phrase definition: In the English language, a prepositional phrase is a group of words that begins with a preposition. The object of a prepositional phrase is to function as an adjective or adverb.

In the sentence “I’ve paid this bill twice by mistake.“, by mistake is a prepositional phrase.

Examples of prepositional phrases:

Prepositional phrase examples that function as an adjective.

The revised edition of the book is now out of print.
This kind of machine is out of date.
The two countries were at peace.
The paintings are on show until April.
Younger workers tend to be at an advantage when applying for jobs.
The doctor said that I should be on a diet.
You’re not allowed to buy alcohol. You’re under age.
Despite applying for hundreds of jobs, he is still out of work.
A passport that is out of date is invalid.
We are happy to be on vacation.

Prepositional phrase examples that function as an adverbs.

The kids spent all their time out of doors.
For a change, it was a gloriously sunny day.
I pushed the problem aside, at present it was insoluble.
The second episode will be screened at the same time tomorrow.
At the beginning of a ceremonial parade,he gives the order to march on.
As regards John, I will write to him at once.
Without warning, the tree crashed through the roof.
I will climb up the highest mountain tomorrow.
It annoys me when people talk during movies.
By my watch it is two o’clock.
With the help of cold water he was soon brought round.
Never tell tales out of school.
Within limits, this seems a not unreasonable request.

Big list of prepositional phrases with at, in, on, by, with, for, out,… with example sentences.

Prepositional Phrases with OUT

List of Prepositional Phrases with OUT

Out out struggle
Out of debt
Out of work
Out of trouble
Out of the question
Out of the ordinary
Out of the kitchen
Out of stock
Out of spite
Out of sight
Out of school
Out of respect for
Out of reach
Out of print
Out of practice
Out of place
Out of pity
Out of order
Out of one’s mind
Out of love
Out of jealousy
Out of in step
Out of ideas
Out of hatred
Out of hand
Out of fashion
Out of duty
Out of doors
Out of date
Out of danger
Out of curiosity
Out of control
Out of context
Out of breath

Examples of Prepositional Phrases with OUT

Out of debt, out of danger.
Unemployment is getting out of hand.
Never tell tales out of school.
I felt out of place among foreigners.
Out of sight, out of mind.
Success grows out of struggles to overcome difficulties.
A hasty man is seldom out of trouble.
The fire is burning out of control.
The boy put the telephone out of order.
I’m afraid we’re temporarily out of stock.
Their music will never go out of fashion.

Prepositional Phrases with FOR

Prepositional Phrase List with FOR

For want of
For the time being
For the sake of
For the rest of
For the moment
For the good of
For the benefit (of)
For sure
For short
For sale
For safekeeping
For real
For once
For nothing
For lunch
For luck
For love
For life
For lack of
For instance
For hire
For granted
For good
For fun
For fear of
For example
For ever
For dinner
For certain
For breakfast
For ages
For a while
For a walk
For a visit
For a reason
For a moment
For a holiday
For a good reason
For a good cause
For a change

Prepositional Phrase Examples with FOR

For lack of anything better to do, we went to the park.
One thing’s for sure – once the baby’s born, your lives will never be the same again.
They have boats for hire.
I didn’t want to move for fear of waking her up.
I believe marriage is for life
She did it for the good of the community.
She has put her house up for sale.
After two trial runs we did it for real.
I haven’t seen you for ages.
Please sit down for a while.
We went all that way for nothing.

Prepositional Phrases with WITH

Prepositional Phrase List with WITH

With the view of
With the result that
With the purpose of
With the intention of
With the help of
With the exception of
With the compliments of
With the aid of
With respect to
With regret
With regard to
With reference to
With attention
With approval
With an eye to
With abandon
With a will
With a view to

Prepositional Phrase Examples with WITH

I am writing with reference to your job application.
The soldiers laid on with a will.
We bought the house with a view to retiring there.
We’d like a room with a view of the sea.
The old man hobbled along with the aid of his stick.
I ask for her hand with all respect.
With the help of cold water he was soon brought round.
She danced with abandon.
Do not waste time with regret.
Save your money now with an eye to the future.
I am writing with regard to your recent order.
These hazards may lead to complications with regard to insurance.
I enjoyed all his novels with the exception of his last.

Prepositional Phrases with AT

Prepositional Phrase List with AT

At worst
At work
At will
At war with
At war
At university
At this point in time
At this juncture
At the wheel
At the thought of
At the top of
At the time of
At the table
At the same time
At the risk of
At the ready
At the peak of
At the moment
At the mercy of
At the latest
At the height of
At the hands of
At the foot of
At the expense of
At the end
At the drop of a hat
At the door
At the bottom of
At the beginning of
At the age of
At that
At times
At stake
At short notice
At sea
At school
At risk
At rest
At random
At present
At play
At places
At peace
At pains
At one’s side
At one’s request
At one’s leisure
At one’s disposal
At one’s discretion
At one’s desk
At one’s best
At one time
At once
At on the double
At on sight
At odds with
At noon
At night
At most
At midnight
At midday
At loose ends
At liberty
At length
At least
At last
At large
At issue
At home
At high speed
At heart
At hand
At full throttle
At full tilt
At full strength
At from the outset
At for a fraction of
At first sight
At first
At fault
At face value
At ease
At breakfast
At any rate
At any cost
At an advantage
At all hours
At all events
At all costs
At a time
At a stretch
At a stand
At a speed of
At a rate of
At a price
At a moment’s notice
At a low ebb
At a loss for words
At a loss
At a loose and
At a guess
At a glance
At a distance
At a discount
At a disadvantage

Prepositional Phrase Examples with AT

At the end of the day.
Employees can buy books at a discount.
She went blind at the age of ten.
Younger workers tend to be at an advantage when applying for jobs.
He was putting himself at risk.
There was no reason for her to feel at a disadvantage.
I pushed the problem aside, at present it was insoluble.
All speak at the same time.
The second episode will be screened at the same time tomorrow.
At the beginning of a ceremonial parade,he gives the order to march on.
As regards John, I will write to him at once.
It will cost at least $200.
I’ve met the president – at least, he shook my hand once.
You have to call her at once.
Everything happened at once – she graduated, got a job, and got married, all in July!
The two countries were at peace.
The shop at the corner of the street sells helmets.

Prepositional Phrases with WITHOUT

Prepositional Phrase List with WITHOUT

Without respect
Without warning
Without thinking
Without respite
Without question
Without precedent
Without foundation
Without fail
Without exception
Without education
Without delay
Without a plan
Without a hitch
Without a good foundation
Without a break
Without (a) doubt

Prepositional Phrase Examples with WITHOUT

Working without a break makes you more prone to error.
It is without precedent in history.
Everything had gone without a hitch.
Genius without education is like silver in the mine.
Speak without thinking is shooting without aiming.
No good building without a good foundation.
Without respect, love cannot go far.
Working without a plan is sailing without a compass.
We’ve been doing experiments 24 hours without a break.

Prepositional Phrases with ON

Prepositional Phrase List with ON

On vacation
On trial
On the way to
On the way
On the verge of
On the understanding that
On the top of
On the tip of
On the stroke of
On the strength of
On the second floor
On the run
On the roof
On the radio
On the phone
On the point of
On the part of
On the outskirts
On the off-chance
On the move
On the menu
On the last day
On the job
On the increase
On the hour
On the horizon
On the grounds of
On the first day
On the eve of
On the edge of
On the dot
On the corner
On the ceiling
On the brink of
On the assumption
On the agenda
On that day
On tiptoe
On time
On television
On suspicion of
On strike
On show
On second thoughts
On sale
On remand
On reflection
On purpose
On principle
On patrol
On parade
On paper
On order
On occasion
On no account
On my wedding day
On my birthday
On leave
On impulse
On horseback
On holiday
On hand
On guard
On good terms
On foot
On fire
On file
On end
On edge
On display
On credit
On condition that
On business
On board
On behalf of
On bail
On average
On approval
On an island
On an island
On an expedition
On account of
On a wall
On a train
On a summer evening
On a spree
On a ship
On a regular basis
On a plane
On a pension
On a motorbike
On a list
On a large / small scale
On a journey/ trip/ cruise
On a diet
On a bus
On a bicycle

Prepositional Phrase Examples with ON

Ken agreed to accompany me on a trip to Africa.
She refuses on principle to understate her income for taxation purposes.
Tell him from me that he must be at the meeting on time.
The new model goes on sale next month.
The paintings are on show until April.
He tried to jump back on board.
She’s on leave until the end of the month.
The car was now on fire.
He’s on trial for his life.
Could you put your ideas down on paper?
The army is on the move.

Prepositional Phrases with UNDER

Prepositional Phrase List with UNDER

Under treatment
Under the pressure of
Under the misapprehension
Under the influence
Under the impression that
Under the command of
Under the age of
Under suspicion
Under stress
Under strain
Under review
Under repair
Under regulations
Under pressure
Under orders
Under one’s protection
Under lock and key
Under discussion
Under cover of
Under construction
Under consideration
Under circumstances
Under arrest
Under age

Prepositional Phrase Examples with UNDER

There’s a broom cupboard under the stairs.
Willing to work under pressure with leardership quality.
The silver was deformed under stress.
The matter is still under review.
A new railroad is under construction.
He is under treatment for malaria.
Is the bridge still under repair?

Prepositional Phrases with IN

Prepositional Phrase List with IN

In vain
In theory
In the nude
In the news
In the mountains
In the mood for
In the meantime
In the habit of
In the end
In the dark
In the beginning
In the air
In two/ half
In town
In touch
In time
In terms of
In tears
In summer/ winter
In stock
In some respects
In secret
In season
In return
In public
In progress
In private
In prison/ jail
In principle
In person
In particular
In pain
In other words
In no time
In moderation
In memory of
In love with
In length
In league with
In labor
In keeping with
In ink / pencil
In horror (of)
In high spirits
In hiding
In haste
In harmony
In hand
In good/ bad condition
In good faith
In goal
In general
In gear
In future
In full
In front of
In force
In focus
In flower
In flames
In fear of
In favor of
In fashion
In fairness to
In fact
In existence
In exchange for
In excess of
In evidence
In essence
In error
In effect
In earnest
In duplicate
In due course
In doubt
In distress
In dispute
In disorder
In disguise
In disgrace
In difficulty
In detail
In defense of
In decline
In debt
In danger
In charge of
In character
In custody
In court
In control of
In contrast with / to
In contact with
In consequence of
In connection with
In conjunction with
In confusion
In confinement
In confidence
In conclusion
In compensation for
In comparison with
In common
In command of
In comfort
In combination with
In cash
In case of
In case
In business
In bulk
In brief
In black and white
In bed
In awe of
In any case
In anticipation of
In answer to
In an uproar
In an instant
In all my born days
In all likelihood
In all honesty
In aid of
In agreement with
In agony
In advance
In addition to
In action
In accordance with
In abundance
In abeyance
In a way
In a temper
In a sense
In a row
In a pile
In a nutshell
In a minute
In a mess
In a lather
In a hurry
In a heap
In a flash
In a deep sleep

Prepositional Phrase Examples with IN

He looks younger, but in fact, he is 50 years old.
It sounds fine in theory, but will it work?
I am in debt to the bank for my car loan.
When in doubt, call the doctor.
Her efforts were in vain.
She described the accident in detail.
In any case the report will be made public next month.
In fact, I always behind you, and sent you a back.
Took an umbrella, just in case.
The book is well organized in terms of plot.
The apple trees are in full bearing.

Prepositional Phrases with BY

Prepositional Phrase List with BY

By word of mouth
By way of
By virtue of
By the way
By the time
By the side of
By the arm/ hand
By surprise
By sight
By rights
By request
By reason of
By phone
By profession
By process of
By post
By order of
By oneself
By one’s side
By now
By no means
By nature
By my watch
By mistake
By means of
By marriage
By luck
By law
By invitation
By heart
By hand
By force
By far
By dint of
By design
By degrees
By definition
By day/ night
By cheque
By check
By chance
By courtesy of
By coincidence
By bus/ train/ plane
By birth
By auction
By appointment
By any standard
By all means
By all accounts
By air/ sea/ land
By accident
By (any) chance

Prepositional Phrase Examples with BY

He took the purse from her by force.
She is the best by far.
I’ve paid this bill twice by mistake.
By the way, how is John?
The road was closed all day by order of the police.
By the time I got there he’d gone.
Perhaps they are already there by now.
He was by nature a philosophical person.

Prepositional Phrases with TO

Prepositional Phrase List with TO

To the/ this day
To the satisfaction of
To the purpose
To the north
To the limit
To the life
To the letter
To the last
To the full
To the extent of
To the exclusion of
To the detriment of
To the best of
To the accompaniment of
To sb’s face
To one’s dismay
To one’s credit
To one’s astonishment
To excess
To date
To an extent

Prepositional Phrase Examples with TO

I’ve always believed in living life to the full.
The car is a beauty and quite up to date.
To date, we have not received any replies.
To this day, I still don’t understand why he did it.
He’s in debt to the extent of 300.
His defending argument was well to the purpose.
She obeyed his instructions to the letter.
The kids stretch my patience to the limit.
The wind has come around to the north.

Prepositional Phrases with WITHIN

Prepositional Phrase List with WITHIN

Within an hour
Within walking
Within striking distance
Within sight of
Within reason
Within reach (of)
Within one’s rights
Within one’s power
Within one’s budget
Within limits
Within grasp

Prepositional Phrase Examples with WITHIN

He’ll do anything within reason but he won’t break the law.
I will be back within an hour.
I’m willing to help, within limits.
The shops are within walking distance.
We live within reach of the station.

Prepositional Phrase Examples

Common Prepositional Phrases with Meaning and Examples

At the end: a time period

At the end of the day

In the end: after all, ultimately

They will surely succeed in the end.

In time: before the given time

The school starts at 7:30. She ‘ll be in time for the start of class.

On time: at exactly given time

The meeting starts at 8 o’clock. They are here on time.

In common: If two or more things have something in common, they have the same characteristic of feature.

Jane and I have nothing in common.

In general: as a whole, without giving details

In general, the standard of your work is very high.

In love: inspired by affection

Peter had fallen in love with that girl.

In touch: in a state which people communicate with each other especially by calling or writing to each other.

We kept in touch after college.

In danger: in the situation in which something bad or harmful is possible

We’re all in danger of losing our jobs.

In doubt: in a state of being uncertain or unsure

The outcome was in doubt until the final seconds of the game.

In other words: used to introduce a statement that repeats what has been said in a different and usually a simpler or more exact way.

She said the movie was a bit predictable. In other words, she didn’t like it.

In fact: in truth

He looks younger, but in fact, he is 60 years old.

In debt: having debts

I am in debt to the bank for my car loan.

In vain: to no end, without success or result

Her efforts were in vain.

In any case: without regard to or in spite of other considerations: Whatever else is done or is the case

In any case the report will be made public next month.

In case: as a precaution

Took an umbrella, just in case.

In case of: in the event of

In case of trouble, yell.

In advance: before a particular time, or before doing a particular thing

If you’re going to come, please let me know in advance.

In conclusion: used to introduce the final comments at the end of a speech or a piece of writing

In conclusion, I would like to thank you for inviting me to speak tonight.

At least: as much as, or more than, a number or amount

It will cost at least $100.

At least: used to reduce the effect of an statement

I’ve met the president – at least, he shook my hand once.

At once: immediately

You have to call him at once.

At once: at the same time

Everything happened at once – she graduated, got a job, and got married, all in June!

By accident: without intending to, or without being intended

I found her letter by accident as I was looking through my files.

By force: using physical power

He took the purse from her by force.

By order of: according to directions given by the proper authority.

The road was closed all day by order of the police.

By request: by asking for something usually in a formal way.

Catalogs are available by request.

By sight: on the basic of one’s look

I know her by sight but not by name.

By nature: used when describing someone’s character, job, etc.

She is, by nature, a sunny, positive kind of person.

For lack of: not having (the thing specified)

For lack of anything better to do, we went to the park.

For sure: certain or certainly

One thing’s for sure – once the baby’s born, your lives will never be the same again.

For hire: available for use or service in return for payment

They have boats for hire.

For fear of: Because you are worried that a particular thing might happen.

I didn’t want to move for fear of waking her up.

For life: for the whole of a person’s life

I believe marriage is for life

For the good of: in order to help (someone or something)

She did it for the good of the community.