Idioms that Start with Prepositions

Definition: Most idioms that start with prepositions are prepositional phrases and consist of a preposition followed by a noun or noun phrase. This type of prepositional idiom can be used adverbially or adjectivally and may come at the beginning, middle, or end of a sentence. Here are some of the most common prepositions found at the beginning of prepositional idioms:

• in
• on
• out of
• at
• for
• by
• from

As there is no way to decipher a prepositional idiom’s meaning simply by looking at it, it is best to memorize as many combinations as possible. The following sections contain examples of some of the most common prepositional idioms that start with the above prepositions.

This is not an exhaustive list, however. There are other prepositions that can be used at the start of idioms, and many more combinations than the ones listed below. To learn more idioms, phrases, and phrasal verbs, check out The Free Dictionary’s Collection of Idioms and Phrases at idioms.thefreedictionary.com.

Idioms that start with in

Idiom	Meaning	Example Sentence
in advance	ahead of time; before	“Sue paid for her gift in advance.”
in brief	concisely; in a few words	“This textbook explains World War II in brief.”
in bulk	in large amounts	“We always buy toilet paper in bulk.”
in common	sharing a trait with someone or something else	“Dogs and wolves have several traits in common.”
in danger	prone to danger or threatened by a dangerous situation; about to be harmed	“Those little kids are in danger.”
in debt	owing money	“Many students are in debt due to the expense of higher education.”
in demand	desired; wanted; sought after (usually skills or products)	“Computer skills are really in demand these days.”
in depth	thoroughly; comprehensively	“Students must discuss their proposals in depth with their advisers.”
in detail	thoroughly; comprehensively	“Writers describe everything in detail.”
in the end	finally; at last	“In the end, what matters most is honesty.”
in fact	really; actually	“The man who is dressed in a T-shirt and jeans is in fact the CEO.”
in general	usually; most of the time	“In general, owners should feed their pets at least twice a day.”
in a minute	very soon	“Angela will arrive in a minute.”
in particular	especially	“I love history in general, but I would like to learn more about European history in particular.”
in reality	really; actually	“Oftentimes, the most talkative people are in reality quite shy.”

Idioms that start with on

Idiom	Meaning	Example Sentence
on average	usually; typically; normally	“Bruce works out on average four times a week.”
on board	located on a ship, train, or airplane	“The ship will depart once everyone is on board.”
on demand	immediately available when asked for or requested	“Most people prefer to watch movies on demand.”
on display	being shown, showcased, or exhibited	“A famous painting is now on display at the museum.”
on fire	in flames; burning	“A building was on fire yesterday.”
on hand	available, accessible	“Do you have a notepad on hand?”
on the other hand	in contrast (to a previously stated point of view)	“It’s fun to see movies, but on the other handtickets can be quite expensive.”
on purpose	intentionally; deliberately	“Liz left without us on purpose.”
on sale	being sold, especially at a reduced price	“The hat you wanted is on sale at the mall.”
on schedule	functioning as planned or scheduled	“The buses seem to be on schedule today.”
on time	at the planned or expected time (e.g., of arrival)	“Alfred never arrives on time.”

Idioms that start with out of

Idiom	Meaning	Example Sentence
out of the blue	without prior indication; unexpectedly	“He showed up at our house out of the blue.”
out of breath	tired; exhausted; panting	“She became out of breath after trudging up the stairs.”
out of character	contrary to one’s personality	“Teresa has been acting out of character lately.”
out of harm’s way	safe	“I’m just glad the baby is out of harm’s way.”
out of order	not functioning or working properly; temporarily broken or unusable (usually referring to machinery)	“This printer is out of order.”
out of the ordinary	unusual; not normal	“His methods are out of the ordinary.”
out of print	no longer published or printed (usually referring to books)	“Unfortunately, that book is out of print.”
out of the question	impossible or unlikely; unreasonable	“Your request is out of the question.”
out of season	not ripe or readily available (usually fruits or vegetables)	“Grapes are out of season this time of year.”
out of style	not fashionable or hip	“Perms have been out of style for decades.”
out of time	having no more (remaining) time	“We are almost out of time.”
out of town	temporarily away at a location in a different vicinity	“Brian will be out of town this weekend.”
out of work	unemployed	“Most of my friends are unfortunately out of work.”

Idioms that start with at

Idiom	Meaning	Example Sentence
at all times	always	“Wear your seatbelt at all times.”
at fault	responsible for something bad; culpable	“She is the only one at fault.”
at first	in the beginning; initially	“At first, she attempted to speak to everyone individually.”
at hand	near in space or time	“Always keep your passwords close at hand.”
at last	finally	“He made it to the airport at last.”
at once	immediately	“Go to your room at once!”
at rest	motionless	“An object at rest stays at rest unless acted on by an outside force.”
at risk	prone to danger or threatened by a dangerous situation	“Families residing near the volcano are especially at risk.”

Idioms that start with for

Idiom	Meaning	Example Sentence
for certain	surely; definitely; positively	“Is Desmond coming to the party tomorrow for certain?”
for example	as an example; for instance	“English isn’t the only international language; for example, French is the national language of many different countries.”
for fun	as a hobby; for enjoyment	“What do you usually do for fun?”
for good	permanently or for an extended period of time	“I’ve decided to leave this city for good.”
for a living	as an occupation	“Herman cleans houses for a living.”
for now	temporarily; for the time being	“Please go to the waiting room for now.”
for sale	being sold; available to be purchased	“Is this diamond ring for sale?”

Idioms that start with by

Idiom	Meaning	Example Sentence
by accident	unintentionally; not deliberately	“The kids broke the vase by accident.”
by all means	definitely; certainly	“Prospective students are by all meansencouraged to visit the campus.”
by hand	without the use of machinery	“He makes intricate sculptures by hand.”
by mistake	unintentionally; not deliberately; as a mistake	“I went to the wrong location by mistake.”
by the way	incidentally (used to introduce a different topic)	“By the way, have you written your essay yet?”

Idioms that start with from

Idiom that Starts with From	Meaning	Example Sentence
from afar	from a distance; coming from far away	“I could hear music from afar.”
from head to toe	all over the body	“She was covered in mud from head to toe.”
from scratch	from the beginning and using only the basic elements or ingredients	“Bob made raspberry cupcakes from scratch.”
from time to time	occasionally; infrequently	“They return to their home country from time to time.”

Quiz

1. Which of the following prepositions is not commonly found at the beginning of prepositional idioms?

a) from
b) out of
c) toward
d) on

2. Which of the following sentences contains an idiom that starts with a preposition?

a) “He’s going to end his addiction for good.”
b) “Wade went to a baseball game yesterday.”
c) “I made this card for my friend.”
d) “Our car broke down on the highway.”

3. Which of the following sentences does not contain an idiom that starts with a preposition?

a) “She stepped down from her position at the firm.”
b) “My cousins have so many things in common.”
c) “In general, summers become hottest around mid-July.”
d) “The circus troupe traveled from afar.”

4. Which of the following sentences uses a prepositional idiom incorrectly?

a) “Many books written over 100 years ago are out of print today.”
b) “Do you think the dress is on sale?”
c) “We must leave at once.”
d) “Perhaps she did it on mistake.”