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Prepositions with chock-full

Chock-full of, with or by

Chock-full is normally followed by of. With is sometimes used in related filled expressions, but by is not standard after chock-full.

Quick answer

Which preposition is correct after chock-full?

The standard pattern is chock-full of something. Chock-full with appears occasionally but is less common and often sounds unnatural. Chock-full by is not idiomatic.

The box was chock-full of old photos.
Her schedule is chock-full of meetings.
The article is chock-full of useful advice.
The bus was chock-full of tourists.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
chock-full of + things

Describing something completely filled

Use of after chock-full to name what fills the space or content.

a drawer chock-full of tools
a week chock-full of activities
2
chock-full of + abstract nouns

Talking about rich content

The phrase also works with ideas, emotions, or information.

a speech chock-full of statistics
a novel chock-full of suspense
3
full of / filled with

Using related expressions

English often uses full of or filled with as alternatives.

The room was full of flowers
The bag was filled with clothes

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
chock-full of
The fridge is chock-full of leftovers.
standard idiomatic expression meaning completely full
chock-full with
The report was chock-full with errors.
sometimes seen but less natural than chock-full of
chock-full by
The hall was filled by reporters.
by is not used after chock-full
full of
The shelf is full of books.
common alternative expression

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using by after chock-full

By does not follow chock-full in standard English.

✕ The box was chock-full by papers. ✓ The box was chock-full of papers.

Overusing with after chock-full

Of is the normal and most natural choice.

✕ The schedule is chock-full with events. ✓ The schedule is chock-full of events.

Forgetting the hyphen

Chock-full is commonly hyphenated before or after nouns.

✕ a chock full suitcase ✓ a chock-full suitcase

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The drawer was chock-full ___ receipts.
2. The article is chock-full ___ useful examples.
3. Which expression is a natural alternative?

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Frequently asked questions

Is chock-full informal?

It is common in everyday English and slightly informal in tone.

Can I use chock-full with abstract nouns?

Yes. You can say chock-full of ideas, energy, or information.

Is chock-full with wrong?

It is not completely impossible, but of is much more idiomatic.

calm, in, calm, for, calm, about "candid about" or "candid in"? capable of or in? careful about, with, of, in or on? careless about, with, in, of or on? caribbean in, for, with, to or on? "catastrophic for" or "catastrophic to"? "cautious about" or "cautious in"? celtic in, for, on, at or to? central to, in, for, at or of? "certain of" or "certain about"? "challenging for" or "challenging of"?

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