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Prepositions after verbs

Fire from, at, on, by or in?

Fire combines with different prepositions depending on direction, position, method, or topic. Some combinations are uncommon or limited to special contexts.

Quick answer

Which preposition is used with fire?

Use fire at for shooting toward a target. Use fire from for the place or weapon used. Fire on appears in military commands and some fixed expressions. Fire by and fire in are not standard patterns after fire meaning shoot, though they may appear as separate adjuncts.

The soldiers fired at the wall.
She fired from the balcony.
The officer shouted, fire on the enemy position!

Choose the pattern by meaning

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

1
fire at + target

Aiming at someone or something

Use fire at for the person, animal, or object receiving the shots.

They fired at the truck.
Someone fired at the police car.
2
fire from + place/weapon

Showing the source of shots

Use fire from for the location or weapon used to shoot.

The sniper fired from a rooftop.
The missile was fired from a submarine.
3
fire on + enemy/target

Military or formal commands

Fire on is mainly used in military language meaning attack with gunfire.

The troops were ordered to fire on the tanks.
The ship did not fire on civilians.
4
fire in + direction/place

Shooting into an area

Fire in is not a fixed verb-preposition pattern, but in can introduce the place shots enter.

They fired in the air.
Someone fired in our direction.

See the difference in context

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

Construction
Example
Meaning
fire at
The hunter fired at the target.
aim shots toward something
fire from
The gun was fired from a moving car.
show the source or position
fire on
The troops fired on the enemy camp.
attack with gunfire in formal or military use
fire by
The signal was sent by radio, not fired by hand.
not a standard pattern after fire meaning shoot; by may introduce method or agent separately
fire in
The crowd heard shots fired in the street.
in usually introduces place, not a selected preposition after fire

Common mistakes

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

Using fire at for the source

Use fire from for the place or weapon.

✕ The rocket was fired at the ship. ✓ The rocket was fired from the ship.

Using fire by as a shooting pattern

Fire by is not a normal combination meaning shoot at something.

✓ The guard fired at the door.

Confusing fire on and fire at

Fire on is more formal and often military.

✓ The officer ordered the troops to fire on the bunker.

Treating in as the object preposition

In usually describes location or direction, not the target.

✕ They fired in the suspect. ✓ They fired at the suspect.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The police fired ___ the suspect's car.
2. The missile was fired ___ a naval ship.
3. The commander ordered soldiers to fire ___ the enemy line.

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Frequently asked questions

Is fire on common in everyday English?

It is less common in everyday conversation and more common in military or formal reporting.

Can I say fire in the air?

Yes. Here in the air describes direction or location, not a fixed verb-preposition combination.

What is the difference between fire at and shoot at?

They are very similar. Fire at is often used with guns or weapons, while shoot at is broader.

face, with, face, by facilitate by, in, with, for or through? "fade into", "fade to" or "fade from"? fail in, at, to, on or for? "fall into" or "fall in"? falter in, after, for, on or under? fantasize about, on, of or over? fare in, against, to, as or on? "fascinate by" or "fascinate with"? "fasten to", "fasten on" or "fasten with"? favor by, in, for, from or of? favour by, in, for, over or of?

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