 <p>The <code>:key =&gt; value</code> syntax only works for <code>=</code>, <code>IN</code>, and <code>BETWEEN</code> conditions (depending on whether <code>value</code> is atomic, an Array, or a Range). Anything else requires you to pass the SQL as a string:</p> <pre><code>Model.where("key LIKE ?", value) </code></pre>