Hoodwink Someone Into Doing vs. Hoodwink Someone To Do
Cambridge directly documents “hoodwink someone into doing something” for tricking someone into an action. The cited entry directly supports into + -ing; it does not establish hoodwink + object + to-infinitive as an equivalent complement pattern.
Use “hoodwink someone into doing” for the directly documented pattern; do not infer equal support for “hoodwink someone to do.”
Key details
Choose the right form
| Meaning / situation | Form / construction | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| deceive or trick a person so that the person performs an action | hoodwink + person + into + -ing | Use the documented “into doing” pattern. |
| proposed direct to-infinitive equivalent | hoodwink + person + to do | Do not treat this as equally supported for the same construction. |
Quick tests
Meaning / construction test
Do you mean that someone was tricked into performing the following action?
If yes: Use “hoodwink someone into doing something.”
If no: Choose a different construction if “hoodwink” is not expressing deception that causes the action.
Caveat: This guide is about the directly documented complement pattern; it does not claim that every possible sentence containing “hoodwink” must use an -ing form.
Examples
They hoodwinked investors into signing the agreement.
The documented pattern uses “into” plus an -ing form.
She was hoodwinked into paying the extra fee.
The passive keeps the same “into + -ing” complement.
The scam hoodwinked users into revealing their passwords.
“Into revealing” names the action induced by deception.
Further guidance
Boundary
The cited entry directly supports into + -ing; it does not establish hoodwink + object + to-infinitive as an equivalent complement pattern.
Construction
Cambridge directly documents “hoodwink someone into doing something” for tricking someone into an action.
Decision
Use “hoodwink someone into doing” for the directly documented pattern; do not infer equal support for “hoodwink 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.
- hoodwinking — Cambridge Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge Dictionary · Direct construction evidence for hoodwink someone into doing something