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Prepositions after verbs

Submit to or submit by?

Submit to and submit by have different meanings. To introduces the recipient or authority, while by usually introduces a deadline.

Quick answer

Submit to vs. submit by

Use submit to when you send something to a person, organisation, or authority, or when someone accepts authority. Use submit by to give a deadline or time limit.

Please submit the form to the registrar
All applications must be submitted by Friday
They refused to submit to military rule

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
submit to + person/organisation

Sending something to someone

To introduces the recipient of a document, request, or proposal.

She submitted the report to the committee
Please submit your claim to the insurer
2
submit to + authority

Accepting control or authority

Submit to can also mean accept another person's authority or decision.

The rebels refused to submit to the government
He eventually submitted to medical advice
3
submit by + time

Giving a deadline

By introduces the latest acceptable time.

Students must submit essays by Monday
Please submit your expenses by the end of the month

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
submit to
I submitted the application to the embassy.
send something to a recipient or accept authority
submit by
Please submit the draft by noon.
states a deadline
submit for
The team submitted the design for approval.
for introduces purpose or evaluation
submit under
The complaint was submitted under a false name.
under introduces a condition or category

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using by for the recipient

By gives a deadline, not the person receiving the document.

✕ She submitted the form by the manager. ✓ She submitted the form to the manager.

Using to for a deadline

Use by with dates and times.

✕ Submit your assignment to Friday. ✓ Submit your assignment by Friday.

Confusing the two meanings of submit to

Submit to can mean send to someone or accept authority, depending on context.

✓ The lawyer submitted the evidence to the court.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. Please submit your passport copy ___ the visa office.
2. All bids must be submitted ___ 5 p.m.
3. The group refused to submit ___ the new rules.

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Frequently asked questions

Can submit to mean obey?

Yes. Submit to often means accept another person's authority or decision.

Is submit by used for deadlines only?

Mostly yes. It normally introduces a time limit.

Can I say submit for approval?

Yes. Submit for is common when something is sent for review, approval, or consideration.

sack, by, sack, for, sack, from "sacrifice for" or "sacrifice to"? sail from, in, for, to or through? "salvage from" or "salvage in"? sanction by, for, in, with or according? satisfy with, by, in, about or after? "saturate with" or "saturate in"? save by, for, from, on or in? "say in", "say about" or "say to"? "scan for", "scan in" or "scan through"? "scar by" or "scar on"? scatter in, across, around, throughout or on?

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