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Prepositions after verbs

sacrifice for or sacrifice to

Use 'sacrifice for' when giving up something for a goal or person. Use 'sacrifice to' mainly for religious offerings or devotion.

Quick answer

How do 'sacrifice for' and 'sacrifice to' differ?

'Sacrifice for' means giving something up to help someone or achieve something. 'Sacrifice to' usually refers to offering something to a god, spirit, or cause.

She sacrificed for her children's education.
They sacrificed to the ancient gods.
He sacrificed for the team.

Choose the pattern by meaning

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

1
sacrifice for + person or goal

Giving something up to help or achieve

Use 'for' when the sacrifice benefits someone or supports a purpose.

Many parents sacrifice for their families.
She sacrificed her career for her art.
2
sacrifice to + god or cause

Religious or symbolic offering

Use 'to' for offerings made to a deity, spirit, or symbolic cause.

Animals were sacrificed to the gods.
He sacrificed everything to his ambition.
3
sacrifice + object

Using the verb without a preposition

The direct object is often the thing given up.

sacrificed his savings to start the business.
sacrificed their comfort for the expedition.

See the difference in context

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

Construction
Example
Meaning
sacrifice for
She sacrificed for her children.
give up something for another person or aim
sacrifice to
The villagers sacrificed to the river god.
make an offering to a deity or symbolic cause
sacrifice something for something
He sacrificed his free time for success.
state both the thing lost and the goal
devote to
She devoted her life to science.
focus energy or commitment on something

Common mistakes

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

Using 'to' for ordinary benefit

Use 'for' when someone benefits from the sacrifice.

✕ She sacrificed to her children. ✓ She sacrificed for her children.

Forgetting the object

The verb often needs a thing that is given up.

✓ He sacrificed his weekends for the project.

Using 'for' in religious offerings

Religious offerings normally use 'to'.

✕ They sacrificed for the gods. ✓ They sacrificed to the gods.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. He sacrificed his holidays ___ his career.
2. The priests sacrificed animals ___ the goddess.
3. Many athletes sacrifice ___ their teams.

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Frequently asked questions

Can 'sacrifice to' be non-religious?

Yes. It can describe extreme devotion, as in 'He sacrificed everything to his career.'

Is 'sacrifice for' common in everyday English?

Yes. It is widely used for personal effort and giving things up.

Can 'sacrifice' be a noun too?

Yes. For example: 'It was a major sacrifice for the family.'

sack, by, sack, for, sack, from sail from, in, for, to or through? "salvage from" or "salvage in"? sanction by, for, in, with or according? satisfy with, by, in, about or after? "saturate with" or "saturate in"? save by, for, from, on or in? "say in", "say about" or "say to"? "scan for", "scan in" or "scan through"? "scar by" or "scar on"? scatter in, across, around, throughout or on? score in, on, for, at or with?

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