Bluff Someone Into Doing vs. Bluff Someone To Do
Oxford directly documents “bluff somebody into doing something” for making someone act by tricking them about your knowledge, experience, or intentions. The cited construction directly supports into + -ing; it does not establish bluff + object + to-infinitive as an equivalent complement pattern.
Use “bluff someone into doing” for the directly documented pattern; do not infer equal support for “bluff someone to do.”
Key details
Choose the right form
| Meaning / situation | Construction | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| trick or mislead a person so an action follows | bluff + person + into + -ing | use the directly documented complement |
| proposed infinitive alternative | bluff + person + to-infinitive | do not infer equivalence from this evidence |
Quick tests
Complement test
Are you naming the action the person was induced to perform by the bluff?
If yes: Use “bluff someone into doing something.”
If no: If no resulting action is expressed, use another documented bluff construction.
Caveat: This guide addresses complement choice, not the legality or ethics of the conduct.
Examples
They bluffed the caller into revealing the reference number.
“Into + -ing” expresses the resulting action.
She was bluffed into accepting the false deadline.
The passive keeps the same documented complement.
They bluffed him to reveal the reference number.
Better: They bluffed him into revealing the reference number.
Use the documented into + -ing pattern for this meaning.
Further guidance
Boundary
The cited construction directly supports into + -ing; it does not establish bluff + object + to-infinitive as an equivalent complement pattern.
Construction
Oxford directly documents “bluff somebody into doing something” for making someone act by tricking them about your knowledge, experience, or intentions.
Decision
Use “bluff someone into doing” for the directly documented pattern; do not infer equal support for “bluff someone to do.”
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- bluff into doing — Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries · Oxford learner-dictionary evidence directly documenting bluff + object + into + -ing