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Prepositions after verbs

Confiscate by or confiscate from?

Use confiscate from when saying who lost the item. By can appear in passive sentences to name the authority taking the item.

Quick answer

Which preposition goes with confiscate?

The standard pattern is confiscate something from someone. In passive sentences, by introduces the person or organisation performing the action.

Police confiscated the phones from the students.
The goods were confiscated by customs officers.
Officials confiscated cash from travellers at the border.

Choose the pattern by meaning

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

1
confiscate something from + person

Saying who lost the item

Use from to identify the person or group whose property was taken.

Teachers confiscated the cards from the players.
Officers confiscated weapons from the suspects.
2
be confiscated by + authority

Naming the authority taking the item

In passive voice, by introduces the agent performing the confiscation.

The documents were confiscated by border police.
Several devices were confiscated by security staff.
3
confiscate + object

Using confiscate without naming a person

The object can appear alone when the owner is unimportant or unknown.

Authorities confiscated illegal goods.
The school confiscated all electronic devices.

See the difference in context

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

Construction
Example
Meaning
confiscate from
The teacher confiscated the note from the student.
Standard pattern showing who lost the item.
confiscate by
The laptops were confiscated by airport security.
By introduces the agent in a passive sentence.
confiscate something
Police confiscated several vehicles.
No preposition is needed when the owner is not mentioned.

Common mistakes

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

Using by after an active verb

In active voice, use from for the person losing the item.

✕ Police confiscated the passport by the traveller. ✓ Police confiscated the passport from the traveller.

Forgetting the object

Confiscate usually needs the thing being taken.

✕ The officer confiscated from the passenger. ✓ The officer confiscated the package from the passenger.

Using from in passive agent phrases

Passive sentences use by for the authority performing the action.

✕ The goods were confiscated from customs officers. ✓ The goods were confiscated by customs officers.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The guard confiscated the camera ___ the tourist.
2. The items were confiscated ___ local authorities.
3. Police confiscated several illegal devices. Which pattern is used?

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Frequently asked questions

Is confiscate from the normal pattern?

Yes. It is the standard way to show who lost the item.

Can confiscate be used without from?

Yes. You can simply name the object, such as confiscate weapons.

Why does by appear with confiscate?

By usually appears in passive voice to identify the authority performing the action.

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