Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English.
1.
If someone says that something is true ~ a particular person, book, or other source of information, they are indicating where they got their information.
Philip stayed at the hotel, ~ Mr Hemming...
He and his father, ~ local gossip, haven’t been in touch for years.
PREP-PHRASE
2.
If something is done ~ a particular set of principles, these principles are used as a basis for the way it is done.
They both played the game ~ the rules...
PREP-PHRASE
3.
If something varies ~ a changing factor, it varies in a way that is determined by this factor.
Prices vary ~ the quantity ordered...
PREP-PHRASE
4.
If something happens ~ plan, it happens in exactly the way that it was intended to happen.
If all goes ~ plan, the first concert will be Tuesday evening.
PHRASE: usu PHR after v