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Prepositions after verbs

Spoil for or spoil by?

Spoil for appears in fixed expressions such as spoil for a fight. Spoil by is usually part of a passive structure like spoiled by success or spoiled by luxury.

Quick answer

Which preposition is correct after spoil?

Use spoil for in a few fixed idioms. Use spoiled by to describe the cause of damage, bad influence, or overindulgence.

He looked as if he was spoiling for a fight.
The picnic was spoiled by rain.
The children were spoiled by constant praise.

Choose the pattern by meaning

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

1
spoil for + noun

Use fixed idiomatic expressions

Spoil for is mainly used in idioms such as spoil for a fight or spoil for trouble.

The crowd seemed to be spoiling for an argument.
He was spoiling for a confrontation all evening.
2
spoiled by + cause

Show what ruined something

By introduces the thing that caused damage or disappointment.

Our holiday was spoiled by bad weather.
The meal was spoiled by poor service.
3
spoiled by + indulgence

Describe negative influence

Spoiled by can also mean excessively indulged or treated too well.

The child was spoiled by his grandparents.
She became spoiled by fame.

See the difference in context

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

Construction
Example
Meaning
spoil for
He was spoiling for a fight.
Be eager or ready for conflict or trouble.
spoil by
The event was spoiled by heavy rain.
Show the cause that ruined something.
spoiled by
They were spoiled by luxury.
Become overly accustomed to comfort or special treatment.

Common mistakes

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

Using spoil for to show a cause

Use by to introduce the thing that ruined something.

✕ The game was spoiled for the weather. ✓ The game was spoiled by the weather.

Using spoil by in the fight idiom

The idiom uses for, not by.

✕ He was spoiling by a fight. ✓ He was spoiling for a fight.

Forgetting the passive form with by

Spoiled by usually appears in passive constructions.

✕ Rain spoiled by the concert. ✓ The concert was spoiled by rain.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The match was spoiled ___ heavy snow.
2. He looked as if he was spoiling ___ a fight.
3. The children were spoiled ___ constant attention.

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Frequently asked questions

What does spoil for a fight mean?

It means to seem eager or ready to argue or fight.

Can spoil by be active?

It is most common in passive structures such as spoiled by rain or spoiled by success.

Does spoiled by always mean something negative?

Usually yes. It often suggests damage, disappointment, or excessive indulgence.

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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