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Prepositions after verbs

Sting by, with, in, to or like?

Sting is commonly used without a preposition or in passive structures such as stung by. Other prepositions may appear in separate sentence elements.

Quick answer

Natural patterns with sting

Use sting someone for the direct action. Use stung by for the source of pain or criticism. Sting with appears when naming the instrument or substance. In, to, and like are usually part of other sentence elements, not fixed combinations with sting.

A bee stung her hand.
He was stung by the remark.
The insect stung him with its tail.

Choose the pattern by meaning

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

1
sting + person/body part

Causing pain

Sting commonly takes a direct object.

The jellyfish stung my leg.
Smoke can sting your eyes.
2
stung by + source

Showing what caused the sting

Use stung by in passive structures.

She was stung by a wasp.
He felt stung by the criticism.
3
sting with + instrument/substance

Naming the means of stinging

Use with to mention the body part or substance used.

The creature stung the fish with sharp spines.
4
sting like + comparison

Making comparisons

Like introduces a comparison, not a fixed verb-preposition pattern.

The cut stings like fire.

See the difference in context

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

Construction
Example
Meaning
sting by
She was stung by a bee.
standard passive pattern showing the source
sting with
The plant can sting with tiny hairs.
shows the means or instrument
sting in
The smoke stung in my throat.
in introduces the location of the sensation
sting to
The comment stung to the core.
to belongs to the expression to the core, not directly to sting
sting like
This medicine stings like alcohol.
comparison using like

Common mistakes

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

Adding an unnecessary preposition

Sting often takes a direct object without a preposition.

✕ The insect stung to my arm. ✓ The insect stung my arm.

Confusing stung by and sting with

By shows the source; with shows the instrument or substance.

✕ He was stung with a bee. ✓ He was stung by a bee.

Treating in as a fixed partner

In usually adds location information rather than forming a fixed pattern.

✕ The chemical stung in me. ✓ The chemical stung my skin.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. She was stung ___ a wasp.
2. The smoke stung ___ eyes.
3. The plant can sting ___ tiny sharp hairs.

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Frequently asked questions

Can sting be used figuratively?

Yes. Remarks, criticism, or rejection can sting emotionally.

Is stung by the most common passive form?

Yes. It is the standard way to name the source of the sting.

Does sting like form a fixed expression?

No. Like introduces a comparison, as in stings like fire.

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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