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Prepositions after verbs

Concede to or concede in?

Concede is commonly followed by to when someone gives in, admits a point, or grants something. Concede in is usually not a standard combination after this verb.

Quick answer

Which preposition is correct after concede?

Use concede to for giving in to pressure, admitting a point, or granting something to someone. Concede in is generally not idiomatic as a direct verb-preposition combination. However, in can appear separately as a place or situation adjunct, such as concede in court.

The company finally conceded to the workers' demands.
She conceded to her opponent that the data was accurate.
The mayor conceded defeat after the recount.

Choose the pattern by meaning

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

1
concede to + pressure/demands

Giving in to someone or something

Use concede to when someone stops resisting pressure, demands, or authority.

After weeks of protests, the government conceded to public pressure.
He refused to concede to intimidation.
2
concede + point/fact

Admitting that something is true

Concede can directly take a noun clause or object when admitting a fact or point.

I conceded that she had a stronger argument.
The lawyer conceded the mistake immediately.
3
concede + object + to + person

Granting or yielding something

Use concede with a direct object and to when giving or granting something to another person or group.

The judge conceded the point to the defence.
They conceded control to the new management team.

See the difference in context

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

Construction
Example
Meaning
concede to
She conceded to the board's request.
Standard English for giving in or yielding.
concede in
They conceded in private discussions.
Here in shows location or context, not a fixed verb-preposition pattern. This is different from concede to.
concede + fact/point
He conceded that the report was incomplete.
Standard structure for admitting something.
concede defeat
The candidate conceded defeat late at night.
Common fixed expression meaning to admit loss.

Common mistakes

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

Using in instead of to after concede

Use to when talking about yielding or giving in.

✕ The manager conceded in their demands. ✓ The manager conceded to their demands.

Adding a preposition before that-clauses

Do not use to or in before a that-clause after concede.

✕ She conceded to that the figures were wrong. ✓ She conceded that the figures were wrong.

Confusing concede to with agree to

Concede to often suggests reluctance or pressure, while agree to is more neutral.

✓ After long negotiations, they conceded to the new conditions.

Treating concede in as a fixed expression

In can describe place or context, but it is not normally selected by concede itself.

✕ He conceded in the criticism. ✓ He conceded to the criticism.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The company finally conceded ___ the union's demands.
2. She conceded ___ her opponent had made a good point.
3. Which sentence uses concede correctly?

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Frequently asked questions

Can I say concede in something?

Usually no. After concede, English normally uses to for yielding or admitting. In may appear separately to show place or context, as in concede in court.

What is the difference between concede and admit?

Both can mean accepting that something is true. Concede often suggests reluctance, debate, or previous resistance.

Can concede be used without a preposition?

Yes. You can concede a point, concede defeat, or concede that something is true.

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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