Bulldoze Someone Into Doing vs. Bulldoze Someone To Do
Cambridge directly documents bulldoze + object + into + -ing for forcing someone toward an unwanted action. The evidence supports the into + -ing construction; it does not establish bulldoze + object + to-infinitive as an equal alternative.
Use “bulldoze someone into doing something” for the documented coercive-action pattern; avoid inferring an equivalent “bulldoze someone to do” rule.
Key details
Choose the right form
| Meaning / situation | Construction | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| force or pressure a person so an action results | bulldoze + person + into + -ing | use the documented complement |
| proposed infinitive alternative | bulldoze + person + to-infinitive | do not infer equal support |
Quick tests
Complement test
Are you describing the action someone was forced or pressured into?
If yes: Use “bulldoze someone into doing something.”
If no: For other senses of “bulldoze,” choose the construction for that sense.
Caveat: The rule here is grammatical scope, not a judgment about whether the pressure was justified.
Examples
They bulldozed the committee into approving the proposal.
“Into + -ing” names the resulting action.
The owner was bulldozed into accepting the changes.
The passive uses the same complement.
They bulldozed the committee to approve the proposal.
Better: They bulldozed the committee into approving the proposal.
Use the documented “into + -ing” pattern for this meaning.
Further guidance
Boundary
The evidence supports the into + -ing construction; it does not establish bulldoze + object + to-infinitive as an equal alternative.
Construction
Cambridge directly documents bulldoze + object + into + -ing for forcing someone toward an unwanted action.
Decision
Use “bulldoze someone into doing something” for the documented coercive-action pattern; avoid inferring an equivalent “bulldoze someone to do” rule.
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.
- bulldoze — Cambridge English Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge Dictionary · Bulldoze + object + into + -ing construction for forcing an action