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Prepositions after verbs

Collude with or collude in?

Collude with names the person or group involved in secret cooperation. Collude in refers to the activity or wrongdoing itself.

Quick answer

Collude with vs. collude in

Use collude with someone when two sides secretly cooperate, usually dishonestly. Use collude in something when referring to the action, scheme, or illegal activity.

Executives colluded with competitors.
Officials colluded in the fraud scheme.
The company denied it had colluded with regulators.

Choose the pattern by meaning

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

1
collude with + person/group

Naming the other party

Use with to identify the people or organisations acting together secretly.

The firm colluded with suppliers.
They were accused of colluding with local officials.
2
collude in + activity

Referring to the dishonest act

Use in before the scheme, crime, or activity involved.

Several traders colluded in price fixing.
He denied colluding in the cover-up.
3
collude to + verb

Expressing purpose or goal

To can introduce the aim of the secret cooperation.

The groups colluded to control the market.
They colluded to hide the evidence.

See the difference in context

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

Construction
Example
Meaning
collude with
The contractor colluded with city officials.
Secret cooperation with another party.
collude in
Several managers colluded in the deception.
Participation in a dishonest activity.
collude to
The companies colluded to raise prices.
Shows the intended result or purpose.

Common mistakes

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

Using with for an activity

With should name a person or group, not the illegal act.

✕ They colluded with the fraud. ✓ They colluded in the fraud.

Using in for a person

Use with when referring to another participant.

✕ She colluded in her partner. ✓ She colluded with her partner.

Using collude in without an activity

In should be followed by the scheme or wrongdoing.

✕ The firms colluded in. ✓ The firms colluded in the bidding process.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The companies colluded ___ each other.
2. Several officials colluded ___ the bribery scheme.
3. The groups colluded ___ block the investigation.

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Frequently asked questions

Is collude with more common than collude in?

They are used differently. With names the people involved, while in names the activity.

Can collude have a positive meaning?

Usually no. Collude normally suggests secret or dishonest cooperation.

Can I say collude on a project?

Not in standard use. For ordinary cooperation, use work with or collaborate on.

calculate, by, calculate, in, calculate, from "call for" or "call on"? "campaign for" or "campaign against"? cancel by, due, at, in or for? capitulate to, in, like, by or after? captivate by, for, with, from or in? "capture by" or "capture in"? "care about" or "care for"? carry with, by, in, to or into? carve into, out, in, on or with? cast in, into, for, by or on? "catch in", "catch by" or "catch on"?

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