Sign In Get Started
Prepositions after verbs

Using “cure of” and “cure by”

Cure of and cure by have different functions. Cure someone of something is a standard pattern. By usually introduces the method used to cure.

Quick answer

Cure of vs. cure by

Use cure someone of an illness, problem, or habit. Use by to explain the treatment or method: cure the disease by surgery. Cure by itself is not usually followed directly by a person or illness.

Doctors finally cured him of malaria.
The treatment cured her of chronic pain.
The infection was cured by antibiotics.

Choose the pattern by meaning

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

1
cure someone of + illness

Remove a disease or problem

This is the standard pattern for curing a person of something harmful.

The specialist cured the patient of insomnia.
Nothing completely cured him of the habit.
2
cure + disease

Eliminate a disease

Cure can take a disease directly as its object.

Researchers hope to cure diabetes one day.
The new drug may cure the infection quickly.
3
cure by + method

Explain the treatment or means

By introduces the method used to cure something.

The condition was cured by surgery.
Doctors cured the illness by changing the medication.
4
cure with + medicine

Name the medicine or tool used

With commonly introduces the medicine or instrument used in treatment.

They cured the infection with antibiotics.
The rash was treated and cured with a special cream.

See the difference in context

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

Construction
Example
Meaning
cure someone of something
The therapy cured her of severe anxiety.
Standard pattern for removing a condition or habit.
cure by + method
The disease was cured by early treatment.
By introduces the method or cause of the cure.
cure with + medicine
Doctors cured the infection with antibiotics.
With introduces a medicine or tool.
cure from
He recovered from the illness.
Recover from is more natural than cure from in modern English.

Common mistakes

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

Using by instead of of after a person

Use cure someone of something, not cure someone by something.

✕ The doctor cured him by asthma. ✓ The doctor cured him of asthma.

Using of after the treatment method

Of introduces the illness or problem removed, not the treatment.

✕ The disease was cured of antibiotics. ✓ The disease was cured by antibiotics.

Confusing cure and recover

People usually recover from illnesses; doctors cure illnesses or cure people of illnesses.

✕ She cured from the flu. ✓ She recovered from the flu.

Omitting the object after cure of

Cure of needs the thing being removed.

✕ The treatment cured him of. ✓ The treatment cured him of the infection.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The clinic cured several patients ___ tuberculosis.
2. The condition was cured ___ a new surgical procedure.
3. Doctors treated the infection ___ antibiotics.

Check your sentence in context

Paste the complete sentence below. Linguix checks the preposition together with grammar, spelling, punctuation, and style.

Free to try · No signup required

Frequently asked questions

Is cure of a standard expression?

Yes. Cure someone of something is a common and standard pattern.

What does cure by mean?

It means that a method or action caused the cure: cured by rest, cured by surgery.

Can cure take a direct object?

Yes. You can say cure a disease, cure an infection, or cure cancer.

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"?

Write with confidence in Linguix

Create a free account to check complete texts, apply suggestions, and save your documents.

Create a free account