Inveigle Someone Into Doing vs. Inveigle Someone To Do
Cambridge directly documents the formal construction inveigle + object + into + -ing for clever and usually dishonest persuasion. The cited source does not license inveigle + object + to-infinitive as a parallel documented construction, so the comparison keeps that asymmetry explicit.
Use “inveigle someone into doing something” for the directly documented construction; do not treat “inveigle someone to do” as equally supported by this source.
Key details
Choose the right form
| Meaning / situation | Form / construction | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| persuade or entice a person by cleverness or flattery to take an action | inveigle + person + into + -ing | Use “inveigle someone into doing something.” |
| treat person + to-infinitive as an equivalent complement | inveigle + person + to do | Do not present this as equally supported by the reviewed source. |
Quick tests
Meaning / construction test
Are you naming the action someone was cleverly persuaded or enticed into taking?
If yes: Use “inveigle + person + into + -ing.”
If no: Recast rather than substituting a person + to-infinitive pattern.
Caveat: This guide concerns the directly documented complement; other senses or historical uses are outside the reviewed evidence.
Examples
They inveigled him into joining the committee.
The person is followed by “into” plus -ing.
She was inveigled into revealing the password.
The passive keeps the documented construction.
No one could inveigle Dana into changing the schedule.
The resulting action follows “into.”
Further guidance
Boundary
The cited source does not license inveigle + object + to-infinitive as a parallel documented construction, so the comparison keeps that asymmetry explicit.
Construction
Cambridge directly documents the formal construction inveigle + object + into + -ing for clever and usually dishonest persuasion.
Decision
Use “inveigle someone into doing something” for the directly documented construction; do not treat “inveigle someone to do” as equally supported by this source.
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.
- inveigle — Cambridge English Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge Dictionary · Inveigle + object + into + -ing construction and formal register