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Preposition after verb

Bid for or bid on?

Both bid for and bid on are standard, but they are used in different contexts and with slightly different meanings.

Quick answer

When do you use bid for or bid on?

Use bid on for items in auctions or online sales. Use bid for when competing to obtain a contract, job, event, or position.

She bid on a vintage guitar online.
Several firms bid for the construction contract.
The city bid for the Olympic Games.

Choose the pattern by meaning

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

1
bid on + item

Auction and sales contexts

Use bid on for objects or items offered for sale.

He bid on a rare painting.
2
bid for + contract/job

Competing to obtain something

Use bid for when trying to win a contract, project, or opportunity.

Three companies bid for the railway project.
3
bid for + event/role

Seeking selection or hosting rights

Cities, organisations, or people can bid for positions or events.

The committee bid for international recognition.
4
bid + amount + on + item

Stating the offered amount

You can include the amount before on.

She bid $500 on the sculpture.

See the difference in context

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

Construction
Example
Meaning
bid on
They bid on several antiques.
Offer money for an item in an auction or sale.
bid for
The firm bid for the defence contract.
Compete to obtain something valuable or important.
bid at
He bid at the auction house.
At introduces the location, not the object of the bid.
bid over
She bid over the asking price.
Over can describe amount, not the main verb pattern.

Common mistakes

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

Using on for contracts

Contracts and jobs usually take bid for.

✕ The company bid on the contract. ✓ The company bid for the contract.

Using for with auction items

Auction items are commonly used with bid on.

✕ He bid for the old watch online. ✓ He bid on the old watch online.

Confusing place with object

At refers to location, not the thing you want.

✕ They bid at the painting. ✓ They bid on the painting.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. Several builders bid ___ the project.
2. She bid ___ a designer handbag online.
3. Which sentence is correct?

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Frequently asked questions

Can bid on and bid for mean the same thing?

Sometimes, but bid on is strongly associated with auctions, while bid for is common for contracts, positions, and hosting rights.

Do native speakers say bid on eBay items?

Yes. Bid on is the usual phrase for online auction items.

What preposition is used for auction locations?

Use at for the location, such as bid at an auction house.

back-by-away-out-in, up backfire on, in, as, at or with? backtrack on, to, in, after or by? "baffle by" or "baffle as"? "bake in" or "bake for"? balance by, in, on, with or between? ban from, in, for, by or on? "bang on" or "bang for"? "banish from" or "banish to"? baptize in, by, into, with or on? "bargain for" or "bargain with"? "bark at" or "bark in"?

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