Terrorize Someone Into Doing vs. Terrorize Someone To Do
Oxford directly documents “terrorize somebody into doing something” for frightening and threatening people until they act as directed. The cited entry directly supports into + -ing; it does not establish terrorize + object + to-infinitive as an equivalent complement pattern.
Use “terrorize someone into doing” for the directly documented pattern; do not infer equal support for “terrorize someone to do.”
Key details
Choose the right form
| Meaning | Pattern | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| repeated fear or threats force/pressure someone into an action | terrorize + person + into + -ing | Use the directly documented construction. |
| name the action produced by the intimidation | into + -ing | Keep the action after the preposition “into.” |
| assume a matching direct object + to-infinitive pattern | terrorize someone to do | Do not infer this equivalent from the reviewed evidence. |
Quick tests
Intimidation-result test
Do you mean that frightening or threatening someone caused them to perform the following action?
If yes: Use “terrorize someone into doing.”
If no: Choose a construction that matches the different intended relation.
Caveat: The reviewed Oxford entry directly supports “into + -ing” and does not establish a parallel “terrorize + object + to-infinitive” complement.
Examples
The gang terrorized residents into abandoning the area.
The documented construction links intimidation to the resulting action.
Repeated threats terrorized the shopkeepers into closing early.
“Into + -ing” names the action caused by the threats.
The campaign terrorized families into leaving their homes.
The action follows the preposition “into” as an -ing form.
Further guidance
Boundary
The cited entry directly supports into + -ing; it does not establish terrorize + object + to-infinitive as an equivalent complement pattern.
Construction
Oxford directly documents “terrorize somebody into doing something” for frightening and threatening people until they act as directed.
Decision
Use “terrorize someone into doing” for the directly documented pattern; do not infer equal support for “terrorize 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.
- terrorize verb — Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries · Oxford learner-dictionary evidence directly documenting terrorize + object + into + -ing