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Prepositions after verbs

Greet by or greet with?

Greet is commonly followed by with to show the words, gesture, or feeling used in a greeting. By is usually not selected by greet itself; it often introduces the method or means in the wider sentence.

Quick answer

Use greet with for the form of greeting

Use greet with to mention a smile, phrase, gesture, or reaction used when greeting someone. Greet by is uncommon as a direct pattern after greet, but by can appear separately to describe a method.

She greeted us with a warm smile.
The crowd greeted the singer with loud applause.
They greeted visitors by shaking hands at the door.

Choose the pattern by meaning

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

1
greet someone with + expression/gesture

Showing how someone greets another person

Use with to introduce the words, emotion, sound, or gesture used in the greeting.

He greeted me with a hug.
Staff members greeted guests with friendly smiles.
2
greet someone by + -ing form

Describing the method of greeting

By can describe the action used to greet someone. Here by belongs to the method phrase, not directly to greet.

The host greeted everyone by name.
She greeted the children by waving from the gate.
3
greet someone at + place

Giving the location of a greeting

Use at for the place where the greeting happens.

They greeted us at the airport.

See the difference in context

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

Construction
Example
Meaning
greet someone with something
She greeted him with a smile.
Standard pattern for the form or mood of the greeting.
greet someone by doing something
They greeted visitors by offering tea.
By introduces the method used to greet people.
greet by something
They greeted by email before the meeting.
Not a common direct pattern; by email is an adjunct showing method.

Common mistakes

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

Using by as the normal preposition after greet

Greet usually takes with for gestures or expressions.

✕ She greeted me by a smile. ✓ She greeted me with a smile.

Forgetting the -ing form after by

When by introduces a method, use a gerund.

✕ They greeted guests by shake hands. ✓ They greeted guests by shaking hands.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The manager greeted the new staff ___ a short speech.
2. They greeted customers by ___ free samples.
3. We greeted her ___ the station entrance.

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Frequently asked questions

Is greet with the most common pattern?

Yes. Use greet with to mention a smile, phrase, sound, or gesture.

Can I say greet by?

Only in a wider structure such as greet someone by shaking hands. By usually introduces a method, not a direct complement after greet.

Can greet be used without a preposition?

Yes. You can simply say greet someone: The teacher greeted the class.

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