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Prepositions after verbs

Surrender to, in, at, on or before?

Surrender commonly takes to for the person, force, or feeling accepted. Other prepositions usually express time, place, or situation.

Quick answer

Which preposition follows surrender?

Use surrender to for giving up to a person, authority, emotion, or pressure. In, at, on, and before usually add context rather than forming fixed combinations.

The soldiers surrendered to the enemy.
He surrendered to temptation.
The rebels surrendered in the early hours of the morning.

Choose the pattern by meaning

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

1
surrender to + authority

Giving up to another side

To introduces the person, group, or force accepted as stronger.

The suspect surrendered to police.
They surrendered to government forces.
2
surrender to + feeling

Accepting an emotion or impulse

To is also used with emotions and abstract forces.

She surrendered to despair.
He surrendered to curiosity.
3
surrender + in/on/before + time or place

Adding circumstances

These prepositions provide extra information about when or where surrender happened.

The troops surrendered at dawn.
He surrendered before the trial began.

See the difference in context

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

Construction
Example
Meaning
surrender to
The city surrendered to the invaders.
standard pattern for giving up
surrender in
The rebels surrendered in the capital.
in gives location or time context
surrender at
They surrendered at midnight.
at gives a specific time or place
surrender on
The agreement was signed on the day they surrendered.
on usually belongs to a time phrase
surrender before
He surrendered before the hearing.
before introduces timing

Common mistakes

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

Using the wrong preposition for the opposing side

Use to with the authority or force accepted.

✕ The army surrendered at the enemy. ✓ The army surrendered to the enemy.

Confusing surrender and give up

Surrender is often more formal and usually needs to for the receiver.

✕ She surrendered the pressure. ✓ She surrendered to the pressure.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The soldiers surrendered ___ the enemy.
2. He surrendered ___ fear.
3. The rebels surrendered ___ dawn.

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Frequently asked questions

Is surrender to correct?

Yes. It is the normal pattern for giving up to a person, force, or emotion.

Can surrender be used without a preposition?

Yes. For example: The troops surrendered after two days.

Is surrender on correct?

Usually on belongs to a separate time expression, not directly to surrender.

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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