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Prepositions after adjectives

Like for, like with or like in?

Like as an adjective is usually followed by of or to, not for, with, or in. Many sentences with these prepositions use them for another part of the sentence.

Quick answer

Which prepositions follow like?

Standard English commonly uses like to or like in fixed expressions such as alike in. Like for and like with are not normal adjective-preposition patterns. In many cases, the preposition belongs to another phrase in the sentence.

The twins are alike in appearance.
Her attitude is similar to mine.
They look like professionals.

Choose the pattern by meaning

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

1
alike in + feature

Sharing the same characteristic

Alike in is a natural adjective pattern for similarity in a specific feature.

The sisters are alike in temperament.
The two cars are alike in design.
2
similar to + noun

Comparing one thing with another

Similar to is usually more natural than like plus a preposition after an adjective.

His style is similar to yours.
The result is similar to last year's outcome.

See the difference in context

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

Construction
Example
Meaning
like for
What is she like for a manager?
for belongs to the role phrase; like itself is not followed by for as a fixed adjective pattern
like with
She is patient with children.
with normally follows another adjective such as patient; like with is not a standard adjective pattern
like in
The brothers are alike in character.
in works naturally with alike, not usually with like alone
like to
The new model is similar to the old one.
to is common after similar, unlike, and related adjectives
like of
It was kind of you to help.
of appears in other adjective patterns, not after like itself

Common mistakes

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

Using like with as a fixed adjective pattern

Like with is usually not idiomatic after the adjective like.

✕ She is like with her sister. ✓ She is like her sister.

Using like in for similarity

Use alike in or similar in.

✕ The twins are like in appearance. ✓ The twins are alike in appearance.

Adding unnecessary for after like

For may belong to another phrase, but not directly after like.

✕ He is like for his father. ✓ He is like his father.

Confusing like and similar to

Similar is followed by to.

✕ The plan is similar with ours. ✓ The plan is similar to ours.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The two brothers are alike ___ personality.
2. Her writing style is similar ___ mine.
3. Which sentence is standard English? ___

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Frequently asked questions

Is like with ever correct?

It can appear when with belongs to another part of the sentence, but it is not a normal adjective-preposition pattern after like.

Can I use alike instead of like?

Yes. Alike is common when comparing two things: They are alike in many ways.

What adjective is better than like in formal writing?

Similar to is often clearer and more formal.

labour-in-for-with-on, to "large in" or "large of"? "late in" or "late for"? lawful for, to, in, unto or under? "lax in", "lax on" or "lax about"? lazy in, about, with, to or for? "leading to" or "leading of"? leery of, about or over? left in, for, over, with or to? leftover from, of, for, in or after? "legal in" or "legal for"? "legitimate for" or "legitimate in"?

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