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Prepositions after verbs

Inundate with, by, at, for or under?

Use inundate with for the thing filling or overwhelming someone or something. Inundated by is also common in passive sentences. The other combinations are generally not standard after inundate.

Quick answer

Which preposition is correct after inundate?

Use inundate with when describing what fills or overwhelms something: We were inundated with emails. Use inundated by to identify the force or source causing the flooding or overload.

The office was inundated with complaints.
The town was inundated by floodwater.
She felt inundated with information.

Choose the pattern by meaning

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

1
inundated with + thing

Showing what overwhelms or fills

With introduces the thing that arrives in large amounts.

Customer service was inundated with calls.
He became inundated with requests.
2
inundated by + source

Naming the cause or force

By identifies the agent or source creating the flood or overload.

The village was inundated by heavy rain.
The website was inundated by traffic after the announcement.
3
inundate + object

Using inundate without a preposition

The verb can directly take an object.

The campaign inundated viewers with advertisements.
Storms inundated the coastal roads.

See the difference in context

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

Construction
Example
Meaning
inundated with
We were inundated with applications.
Standard pattern for what overwhelms or fills something.
inundated by
The area was inundated by seawater.
Focuses on the source or agent.
inundated at
They were inundated at work.
At introduces a location or situation, not a fixed pattern after inundated.
inundated for
The team was inundated for weeks.
For introduces duration, not a standard complement of inundated.
under inundation
Several streets are under inundation.
A separate noun phrase, not a verb-preposition pattern with inundate.

Common mistakes

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

Using at after inundated

Use with for the thing received in large amounts.

✕ We were inundated at emails. ✓ We were inundated with emails.

Confusing by and with

By names the source; with names the thing filling or overwhelming.

✕ The town was inundated with the storm. ✓ The town was inundated by the storm.

Using for as a complement

For does not normally follow inundate directly.

✕ She was inundated for messages. ✓ She was inundated with messages.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The support team was inundated ___ requests.
2. The fields were inundated ___ river water.
3. The ads inundated viewers ___ promotions.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between inundated with and inundated by?

With focuses on what fills or overwhelms, while by focuses on the source or cause.

Can inundate be used figuratively?

Yes. It often describes being overwhelmed by messages, work, or information.

Is inundate formal?

Yes. It is more formal than flood in many contexts.

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