Cool MateSubmit vs Take a knee
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Submit
Top 2,000 (common)B2verb
Take a knee
Beyond 10,000 (less common)
Most common: Submit
| Submit | Take a knee | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 /["/səbˈmɪt/","/səbˈmɪts/","/səbˈmɪtɪd/","/səbˈmɪtɪŋ/"]/🇺🇸 /["/səbˈmɪt/","/səbˈmɪts/","/səbˈmɪtɪd/","/səbˈmɪtɪŋ/"]/ | 🇬🇧 //teɪk ə niː//🇺🇸 //teɪk ə ni// |
| Meaning | To give something for someone to look at or decide on. | To lower oneself to one knee, often as a sign of respect or protest. |
| Example | Please submit your application before the deadline. | During the national anthem, players decided to take a knee to protest racial injustice. |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 2,000 (common) | Beyond 10,000 (less common) |
| CEFR level | B2 | - |
| Part of speech | verb | |
| Collocations | formally, respectfully, humbly, ask somebody to, invite somebody to, require somebody to, for, to, voluntarily, willingly, meekly, refuse to, agree to, be prepared to, to | take a knee, take a knee during, take a knee for |
| Antonyms | withdraw, cancel | - |
| Common mistakes | Confusing 'submit' with 'send' - 'Submit' often implies a formal process., Using 'submit' without a clear object., Overusing 'submit' instead of simpler verbs like 'give' or 'hand in' in informal scenarios. | Confused with 'take a break' which means to rest., Misinterpreting it as just the action of kneeling without understanding the social implications., Using inappropriately in casual conversations unrelated to respect or protest. |
| Usage notes | Used in formal and neutral contexts, such as in applications or proposals. Avoid using ‘submit’ in very casual conversations. | Commonly used in sports and protest contexts. Generally respectful, but can also denote activism. |
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Frequently asked questions: Submit vs Take a knee
What's the difference between Submit and Take a knee?
Submit: To give something for someone to look at or decide on. Take a knee: To lower oneself to one knee, often as a sign of respect or protest.
Which is more common: Submit and Take a knee?
Submit is the most common in everyday English.
Can you show an example of each?
Submit: Please submit your application before the deadline. Take a knee: During the national anthem, players decided to take a knee to protest racial injustice.
Can I use Submit and Take a knee interchangeably?
Not always. Submit and Take a knee are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.