This list includes 21 Prepositions that start with B, from “back of” to “by way of”. These single-word and common multi-word prepositions show direction, relation, time, and manner for clear sentence building.
[Prepositions that start with B] are words or phrases beginning with B that link nouns, pronouns, or clauses. Many come from Old English or Latin roots and appear in everyday and literary English.
Below you’ll find the table with Preposition, Definition, Common pairings, Example sentence, and Usage note.
Preposition: The word or phrase itself; you scan this column to find the preposition you want to study or use.
Definition: A concise meaning in everyday terms; you read it to understand how the preposition relates words in a sentence.
Common pairings: Typical complements, verbs, or noun phrases you can expect to see used with the preposition in real contexts.
Example sentence: One clear sentence showing normal usage, so you can copy structure and meaning for your own writing.
Usage note: Short tags or comments on register, region, or frequency, so you know when and where to use it.
Prepositions that start with B
| Preposition | Type | Meaning | Common pairings |
|---|---|---|---|
| before | single-word | Earlier than; in front of (time or place) | noon, the meeting, departure, sunrise |
| behind | single-word | At the back of; later than | the house, the schedule, the wheel, the scenes |
| below | single-word | At a lower level than; less than | sea level, zero, average, the surface |
| beneath | single-word | Under; lower than; figuratively ‘beneath’ | the surface, the floor, dignity, the waves |
| beside | single-word | At the side of; next to | the bed, the table, the point, the town |
| besides | single-word | In addition to; apart from | that, his help, the cost, the fact |
| between | single-word | In the space separating two or more things | two houses, the lines, us, the parties |
| betwixt | single-word (archaic) | Between (archaic or literary) | heaven and earth, the two, past and future |
| beyond | single-word | On or to the further side of; more than | belief, doubt, the horizon, repair |
| by | single-word | Near; via; indicating agency, means, or location | the river, the book, hand, car |
| but | single-word (archaic) | Except; other than | none but, all but, nothing but, but one |
| bar | single-word | Except; excluding | all bar one, members bar, exceptions bar, participants bar |
| barring | single-word | Excepting; if not prevented by | accidents, delays, rain, objections |
| because of | multi-word | Due to; on account of | the rain, illness, traffic, circumstances |
| but for | multi-word | Except for; without | your help, the rain, his presence, luck |
| by means of | multi-word | Using; via a method or instrument | technology, research, payment, force |
| by virtue of | multi-word | Because of; as a result of | position, merit, law, experience |
| by way of | multi-word | As a route or for the purpose of; as | explanation, example, detour, reference |
| by dint of | multi-word | By means of; through the force of | hard work, effort, persistence, will |
| by reason of | multi-word | Because of; due to | illness, age, necessity, law |
| back of | multi-word (regional) | Behind ( chiefly U.S. regional usage) | the house, the car, the building, the shed |
Descriptions
before
Used for time or place. Example: “Finish your work before noon.” Neutral and very common in speech and writing.
behind
Physical or figurative position. Example: “The car is parked behind the garage.” Common in everyday English.
below
Indicates lower position or degree. Example: “Temperatures dropped below freezing.” Neutral register, widely used.
beneath
Often slightly more formal or literary. Example: “She hid the box beneath the bed.” Also used figuratively (beneath one’s dignity).
beside
Spatial relation. Example: “Sit beside me.” Neutral and common; not to be confused with “besides.”
besides
Adds information or excludes. Example: “Besides the cake, bring drinks.” Common; also functions as an adverb.
between
Used for space, time, choices. Example: “Choose between apples and oranges.” Very common.
betwixt
Archaic or poetic form. Example: “Betwixt hope and fear she trembled.” Rare in modern casual speech.
beyond
Used spatially or figuratively. Example: “The village lies beyond the hills.” Common in both literal and abstract senses.
by
Very versatile preposition. Example: “The letter was sent by mail.” Extremely common with many uses.
but
Older/formal prepositional use meaning ‘except’. Example: “None but the brave remained.” Marked or literary in many contexts.
bar
Used chiefly in formal or legal contexts meaning ‘except’. Example: “All were present bar two.” More formal than everyday “except.”
barring
Common preposition meaning ‘except’ or ‘unless’. Example: “Barring objections, we’ll proceed.” Neutral register, widely used.
because of
A common prepositional phrase indicating cause. Example: “The match was canceled because of rain.” Neutral and frequent.
but for
Used to indicate exception or hypothetical. Example: “But for her help, we’d have failed.” Somewhat formal but common.
by means of
Indicates method or instrument. Example: “They opened the safe by means of a code.” Slightly formal; common in writing.
by virtue of
Formal phrase indicating reason or authority. Example: “She qualified by virtue of experience.” More formal and common in written registers.
by way of
Can indicate route or manner. Example: “He mentioned it by way of explanation.” Neutral to formal; idiomatic.
by dint of
Idiomatic, somewhat formal. Example: “She succeeded by dint of persistence.” Common in written and spoken emphatic contexts.
by reason of
Formal, slightly old-fashioned. Example: “He was excused by reason of illness.” More common in legal or formal writing.
back of
Regional American expression meaning ‘behind’. Example: “There’s a shed back of the barn.” Informal and regional; less common in British English.