bury in + container/material
Place or hide something inside
Bury in often means cover or hide something within another thing.
She buried her face in her hands.
Bury in, under, at, with, or beneath
Bury commonly combines with in or under for physical covering. Other prepositions have more specific uses.
Quick answer
Which prepositions are used with bury?
Bury in and bury under are common for covering something. Bury with can describe accompanying objects. Bury at refers to a burial location. Bury beneath is a more formal alternative to bury under.
She buried the letters in a box.
The village was buried under snow.
He was buried at sea.
The king was buried with gold jewellery.
The village was buried under snow.
He was buried at sea.
The king was buried with gold jewellery.
Choose the pattern by meaning
These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.
bury under + covering
Cover completely
Bury under is common with snow, papers, debt, or rubble.
The road was buried under sand.
bury at + place
State the burial location
Bury at identifies a cemetery, sea location, or site.
They were buried at the local cemetery.
bury with + object
Include accompanying items
Bury with means objects are placed together with the body.
The ruler was buried with ceremonial weapons.
bury beneath + layer
Use a formal alternative to under
Beneath is more literary or formal than under.
The ruins lay buried beneath volcanic ash.
See the difference in context
The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.
Construction
Example
Meaning
bury in
He buried the coins in the garden.
place something inside or within another thing
bury under
The cars were buried under snow.
cover completely with something on top
bury at
She was buried at sea.
state the place or setting of burial
bury with
The body was buried with personal belongings.
include objects together with the buried person
bury beneath
Ancient walls were buried beneath the earth.
formal or literary version of under
Common mistakes
Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.
Using bury at for covering
Bury at refers to location, not covering.
✕ The papers were buried at dust. ✓ The papers were buried under dust.Confusing in and under
In suggests being inside something, while under stresses covering from above.
✕ The village was buried in snowdrifts from above. ✓ The village was buried under snowdrifts.Using with for location
With introduces accompanying objects, not places.
✕ He was buried with the cemetery. ✓ He was buried at the cemetery.Quick practice
Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.
1. The path was buried ___ mud after the storm.
2. She buried the documents ___ a metal box.
3. The soldier was buried ___ military honours.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between bury in and bury under?
Bury in often focuses on being inside something, while bury under emphasizes covering from above.
Is bury beneath formal?
Yes. Beneath is more formal or literary than under.
Can bury with refer to objects?
Yes. It commonly describes objects buried together with a person.
Related preposition guides
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