Mar is most often followed by by in passive structures or with when naming a damaging feature. Other prepositions are uncommon or nonstandard directly after the verb.
Use marred by to describe something negatively affected by a problem. Use marred with for visible marks or defects in some contexts. Mar at, mar for, and mar as are generally not standard combinations.
These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.
By introduces the cause of damage or imperfection.
With can describe physical marks or features covering a surface.
The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.
Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.
At does not normally follow mar directly in standard English.
✕ The performance was marred at mistakes. ✓ The performance was marred by mistakes.Use by to introduce what caused the damage or imperfection.
✕ The trip was marred for bad weather. ✓ The trip was marred by bad weather.By usually gives the cause; with often describes physical marks.
✕ The meeting was marred with delays. ✓ The meeting was marred by delays.Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.
Paste the complete sentence below. Linguix checks the preposition together with grammar, spelling, punctuation, and style.
Yes. It is more common in formal or literary English than in casual conversation.
Yes. For example: Constant noise marred the performance.
No. Marred by usually names the cause, while marred with often describes physical marks.
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