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Prepositions after verbs

Smash into, smash through, or smash by?

Smash into describes a collision, while smash through means breaking through a barrier. Smash by is not a standard verb-preposition combination.

Quick answer

Which preposition goes with smash?

Use smash into for collisions and smash through for breaking barriers or obstacles. Smash by is not normally used as a fixed combination, although by can introduce nearby information such as location or manner.

The car smashed into a wall.
The firefighters smashed through the locked door.
She walked by as the window smashed.

Choose the pattern by meaning

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

1
smash into + object

Colliding with something

Use smash into when a person or thing hits another object with force.

The truck smashed into a tree.
A cyclist smashed into the fence.
2
smash through + barrier

Breaking through an obstacle

Use smash through when force breaks or passes through something blocking the way.

The thieves smashed through the glass doors.
The animal smashed through the gate.
3
smash + object

Breaking something violently

Smash can also take a direct object without a preposition.

He smashed the old phone.
The wave smashed the boat apart.

See the difference in context

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

Construction
Example
Meaning
smash into
The bus smashed into a barrier.
collide forcefully with something
smash through
The crowd smashed through the fence.
break and move through an obstacle
smash by
The phrase smash by is not a standard combination.
not normally used as a verb-preposition pattern
smash past
The runner smashed past the previous record.
exceed or move beyond something quickly

Common mistakes

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

Using smash by for collisions

English uses smash into for hitting something.

✕ The car smashed by a pole. ✓ The car smashed into a pole.

Using smash through without a barrier

Through suggests movement across or breaking a boundary.

✕ She smashed through her friend. ✓ She smashed into her friend.

Confusing by as an adjunct

By can describe nearby movement, but it is not selected by smash.

✕ The truck smashed by the shop. ✓ The truck smashed into the shop.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The motorcycle ___ a parked van.
2. The rescue team ___ the blocked entrance.
3. Which phrase is not a standard combination?

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Frequently asked questions

Can smash into be used figuratively?

Yes. You can say a company smashed into financial trouble or a plan smashed into opposition.

Does smash through always mean physical force?

No. It can also be figurative, such as smash through a limit or smash through resistance.

Is smash by ever correct?

By may appear separately in a sentence, but smash by is not usually treated as a standard verb-preposition combination.

sack, by, sack, for, sack, from "sacrifice for" or "sacrifice to"? 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?

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