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Prepositions after verbs

Rob of, rob in, or rob by?

Rob usually appears in the pattern rob someone of something. Other prepositions often have different grammatical roles.

Quick answer

Correct pattern with rob

Use rob someone of something for taking something away unfairly. Rob in is not a standard verb pattern. Rob by appears mainly in passive sentences with the agent.

They robbed him of his savings.
The bank was robbed by armed men.

Choose the pattern by meaning

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

1
rob + person/place

Taking money or property illegally

Rob takes a direct object for the victim or place.

Criminals robbed the store last night.
2
rob someone of + thing

Taking something away

Of introduces what was lost.

The scam robbed her of her confidence.
3
be robbed by + person

Naming the criminal in passive voice

By introduces the agent in passive structures.

The tourists were robbed by two men.

See the difference in context

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

Construction
Example
Meaning
rob of
The illness robbed him of his energy.
take something away from someone
rob in
They were robbed in the alley.
in introduces the place of the robbery
rob by
The house was robbed by professionals.
passive structure naming the robber
rob from
He stole money from the company.
from is more common with steal than rob

Common mistakes

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

Using rob in as a fixed pattern

In usually marks location, not a complement after rob.

✕ They robbed in his wallet. ✓ They robbed him of his wallet.

Confusing rob and steal

Rob targets a person or place; steal targets the object.

✕ Someone robbed my phone. ✓ Someone stole my phone.

Using of after rob a place

Of is used with a person and the thing lost.

✕ They robbed the bank of. ✓ They robbed the bank.

Using by in active sentences

By is mainly used in passive voice.

✕ The thieves robbed by tourists. ✓ The thieves robbed tourists.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The fraudster robbed investors ___ millions.
2. The shop was robbed ___ masked men.
3. We were robbed ___ the train station.

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Frequently asked questions

Can rob be used figuratively?

Yes. Something can rob a person of time, confidence, or opportunity.

Why is rob by uncommon?

It mainly appears in passive structures such as was robbed by.

What is the difference between rob and steal?

Rob focuses on the victim or place, while steal focuses on the thing taken.

radiate-from-into-around-to, with "raise in" or "raise by"? rake in, through, across, at or over? rally in, around, to, behind or on? "rape by" or "rape in"? ratify by, in, on, according or as? ravage by, from, on, through or with? rave about, at, from, to or before? reach for, by, at, to or into? react to, with, in, by or like? read about, in, on, through or for? "realize in", "realize at" or "realize by"?

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