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Prepositions after verbs

Desist from, in, or at

Desist is normally followed by from plus an activity or action. In and at are not standard complements after desist, though they may appear as separate adverbials.

Quick answer

What preposition follows desist?

Use desist from to mean stop doing something. Desist in and desist at are generally not idiomatic as verb-preposition combinations.

The company agreed to desist from misleading advertising.
Please desist from smoking near the entrance.
They desisted in silence after the meeting.

Choose the pattern by meaning

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

1
desist from + activity

Stopping an action

Use desist from with a noun or gerund to express stopping an activity.

The court ordered them to desist from publishing false claims.
He finally desisted from arguing.
2
desist + infinitive

Formal infinitive structure

In formal English, desist may also be followed by an infinitive.

They were told to desist to interfere no further.
The notice ordered staff to desist to contact clients directly.
3
in + place or manner

Using in separately

In can describe place, time, or manner in the sentence, but it is not selected by desist.

They desisted in complete silence.
The protesters desisted in the afternoon heat.

See the difference in context

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

Construction
Example
Meaning
desist from
She desisted from making further comments.
Standard pattern meaning stop doing something.
desist in
They desisted in silence.
In functions as an adverbial of manner, not as the verb complement.
desist at
He desisted at the doorway.
At functions as a location adjunct, not a standard complement.

Common mistakes

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

Using in after desist for actions

Use from before an activity or behaviour.

✕ They desisted in protesting. ✓ They desisted from protesting.

Using at after desist for actions

At does not normally introduce the stopped activity.

✕ She desisted at complaining. ✓ She desisted from complaining.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The lawyer demanded that the company desist ___ using the logo.
2. Which sentence is idiomatic?
3. In the sentence 'They desisted at the gate,' what is at the gate?

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Frequently asked questions

Is desist a formal word?

Yes. It is common in legal and formal contexts.

Can I use desist with a gerund?

Yes. Desist from doing something is the most common structure.

Are desist in and desist at correct?

Not as standard verb-preposition combinations. In and at may appear separately as location or manner phrases.

dabble, in, dabble, with "damage to" or "damage by"? dance to, with, on, in or for? "dangle from" or "dangle in"? dare to, for, on, as or at? dash to, into, out, from or on? daydream about, for, in, of or on? "debate in", "debate on" or "debate with"? deceive by, in, into, on or about? "decide on", "decide to" or "decide by"? declare in, by, on, to or as? decline in, by, from, to or for?

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