accuse someone of + wrongdoing
Saying what a person is blamed for
Use of before the action, crime, or fault.
The press accused the company of corruption
Accuse of, by, in, for, or with?
The standard pattern is accuse someone of something. Other prepositions may appear in separate parts of the sentence, but they are not the usual complement after accuse.
Quick answer
Which preposition follows accuse?
Use accuse someone of something to say that a person is charged with or blamed for an action. Accuse by, accuse in, and accuse for are not standard complements. With can appear in legal or formal contexts such as charged with a crime, but accuse with is uncommon.
They accused him of fraud
She was accused of lying to the committee
The manager accused the team of negligence
She was accused of lying to the committee
The manager accused the team of negligence
Choose the pattern by meaning
These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.
accuse someone of + verb-ing
Using a verb after accuse
Use a gerund after of to describe the action.
He accused her of breaking the agreement
accuse someone by + method
Describing the method of accusation
By can describe how the accusation was made, not the complement of accuse.
She accused him by email after the meeting
accuse someone in + place or context
Adding location or context
In introduces the place, document, or situation where the accusation happened.
They accused the witness in court
See the difference in context
The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.
Construction
Example
Meaning
accuse someone of something
They accused him of theft.
Standard pattern meaning to blame or charge someone.
accuse someone by email
She accused him by email.
By describes the method of communication, not the accusation itself.
accuse someone in court
The lawyer accused the witness in court.
In introduces the location or context.
accuse someone for something
They accused him for the mistake.
Nonstandard in this meaning; use accuse someone of something.
accuse someone with something
Police charged him with robbery.
With is common with charge, not usually with accuse.
Common mistakes
Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.
Using for after accuse
Use of, not for, after accuse.
✕ She accused me for cheating. ✓ She accused me of cheating.Using a bare verb after accuse of
Use a noun or verb-ing form after of.
✕ They accused him of steal the money. ✓ They accused him of stealing the money.Confusing accuse with charge
With is common after charge, not usually after accuse.
✕ The police accused him with fraud. ✓ The police accused him of fraud.Quick practice
Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.
1. They accused the accountant ___ hiding information.
2. She accused him ___ a formal letter.
3. The witness was accused ___ perjury.
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Frequently asked questions
Is accuse for correct?
No. The standard form is accuse someone of something.
Can accuse be followed by with?
It is uncommon. English usually uses charge someone with something instead.
What comes after accuse of?
Use a noun or a verb-ing form, such as of theft or of lying.
Related preposition guides
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