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Prepositions after verbs

Expire in, at, or on?

Use expire in for a period of time, expire at for a clock time, and expire on for a date.

Quick answer

How do you use expire with time expressions?

Use expire in with a time period, such as in two days. Use expire at with a specific clock time, and expire on with a date or day.

The offer will expire in 48 hours.
Your session will expire at midnight.
The passport expires on 12 June.

Choose the pattern by meaning

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

1
expire in + period

Talking about a duration before something ends

Use in with lengths of time.

The coupon will expire in one week.
The contract expires in three months.
2
expire at + clock time

Giving an exact time

Use at with precise times of day.

The ticket will expire at 5 p.m.
Access expires at midnight tonight.
3
expire on + date or day

Giving a calendar date

Use on with dates and days.

The licence expires on Friday.
The warranty will expire on 30 September.

See the difference in context

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

Construction
Example
Meaning
expire in
The visa expires in six months.
Shows how much time remains before expiry.
expire at
The parking pass expires at noon.
Shows an exact clock time.
expire on
The subscription expires on 1 May.
Shows a date or day.
expire after
The code expires after 24 hours.
Shows a duration measured from a starting point.

Common mistakes

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

Using on with a time period

Use in for periods such as days, weeks, or months.

✕ The offer expires on two days. ✓ The offer expires in two days.

Using at with a date

Use on for dates and days.

✕ The licence expires at 10 July. ✓ The licence expires on 10 July.

Forgetting the subject

Expire is usually used with documents, offers, subscriptions, and similar things.

✕ Will expire on Monday. ✓ The pass will expire on Monday.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The coupon will expire ___ three days.
2. The session expires ___ midnight.
3. Her passport expires ___ 8 August.

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Frequently asked questions

Can I say expire by?

Yes, but by changes the meaning. It means no later than a time or date, not the exact expiry time.

Is expired the same as invalid?

Often yes for documents or offers, but invalid can also refer to other reasons besides time.

Can expire be used for people?

In formal or literary English, expire can mean die, but this use is uncommon in everyday conversation.

earmark-for-by-as-about, at "earn from", "earn by" or "earn in"? "ease into", "ease by" or "ease in"? "eat at", "eat with" or "eat in"? "echo in" or "echo by"? edit by, for, in, to or from? "educate in" or "educate at"? eject from, at, in, into or by? elaborate on, in, upon, by or about? "elect to" or "elect by"? elevate to, in, above, by or as? "eliminate from", "eliminate in" or "eliminate by"?

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