Sucker Someone Into Doing vs. Sucker Someone To Do
Cambridge documents US informal sucker + object + into + -ing for persuading someone to act by deceiving them. The entry explicitly marks the construction informal and US; it does not establish sucker + object + to-infinitive as a parallel standard pattern.
Use “sucker someone into doing something” in the documented US-informal deceptive-persuasion sense; do not infer an equivalent “sucker someone to do” construction.
Key details
Choose the right form
| Meaning | Pattern | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| deceive or persuade someone into an action | sucker + person + into + -ing | Use the documented US-informal construction. |
| neutral persuasion | persuade / convince + appropriate complement | Prefer a neutral verb if the deceptive or informal meaning is not intended. |
| direct to-infinitive after the object | sucker someone to do | Do not treat this as the documented parallel construction. |
Quick tests
Register-and-complement test
Do you mean informally deceive or manipulate someone into taking the action?
If yes: Use “sucker someone into + -ing.”
If no: If the meaning is neutral persuasion, choose a neutral persuasion verb rather than forcing this idiom.
Caveat: The reviewed source labels this construction US informal; the guide does not generalize it into a neutral all-register pattern.
Examples
They suckered him into paying for an unnecessary upgrade.
The object is followed by “into + -ing” for the deceptive-persuasion sense.
She was suckered into revealing the password.
The passive form keeps the same “into + -ing” complement.
Don’t let the sales pitch sucker you into buying more than you need.
The construction expresses manipulative persuasion into an action.
Further guidance
Boundary
The entry explicitly marks the construction informal and US; it does not establish sucker + object + to-infinitive as a parallel standard pattern.
Construction
Cambridge documents US informal sucker + object + into + -ing for persuading someone to act by deceiving them.
Decision
Use “sucker someone into doing something” in the documented US-informal deceptive-persuasion sense; do not infer an equivalent “sucker someone to do” construction.
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.
- sucker someone into something — Cambridge English Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge Dictionary · Sucker + object + into + -ing construction and US informal register