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Prepositions after verbs

Win in or win by?

'Win in' and 'win by' are both correct, but they express different ideas. 'In' refers to the competition or activity, while 'by' refers to the margin or method.

Quick answer

Win in vs. win by

Use 'win in' for the event or field where someone succeeds. Use 'win by' for the amount, score, or method of victory.

She hopes to win in the final round.
The team won by two goals.
He won by hard work and persistence.

Choose the pattern by meaning

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

1
win in + competition

Talking about the event or area

Use 'in' for the game, election, race, or field where the victory happens.

They won in the regional tournament.
2
win by + amount

Expressing the margin of victory

Use 'by' with scores, points, or percentages.

Our team won by three points.
3
win by + method

Explaining how success was achieved

Use 'by' to show means or strategy.

She won by staying calm under pressure.
4
win + object

Using win without a preposition

'Win' often takes a direct object such as a prize or game.

He won the match easily.

See the difference in context

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

Construction
Example
Meaning
win in
She won in the junior division.
Refers to the event, category, or area of success.
win by
The candidate won by 5,000 votes.
Refers to the margin or method of victory.
win + object
They won the championship.
Directly names the thing gained or achieved.

Common mistakes

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

Using 'in' for a score difference

Use 'by' for margins of victory.

✕ They won in two points. ✓ They won by two points.

Using 'by' for the competition

Use 'in' for the event or field.

✕ She won by the national contest. ✓ She won in the national contest.

Adding unnecessary prepositions

Many uses of 'win' do not need a preposition.

✕ He won in the prize. ✓ He won the prize.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The team won ___ five goals.
2. She hopes to win ___ the chess tournament.
3. He ___ the race last year.

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Frequently asked questions

Is 'win by' correct?

Yes. It commonly describes the score difference or method of winning.

When do we use 'win in'?

Use it for the event, field, or category where the victory happens.

Can 'win' be used without a preposition?

Yes. For example, 'win a game' or 'win a prize' are standard structures.

wade, through, wade, into wait for, in, on, at or till? wake up, from, in, at or by? walk into, in, to, through or on? wander through, around, into, in or from? "want for", "want from" or "want in"? "warn of" or "warn against"? "wash with", "wash in" or "wash over"? "waste on" or "waste in"? watch for, in, on, from or with? "wave at" or "wave to"? "weaken by", "weaken to" or "weaken of"?

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