Surrender vs We turned them over to

When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.

Surrender

Top 2,000 (common)C1verb

We turned them over to

Beyond 10,000 (less common)
Most common: Surrender
 SurrenderWe turned them over to
Pronunciation🇬🇧 /["/səˈrendə(r)/","/səˈrendəz/","/səˈrendəd/","/səˈrendərɪŋ/"]/🇺🇸 /["/səˈrendər/","/səˈrendərz/","/səˈrendərd/","/səˈrendərɪŋ/"]/🇬🇧 //wiː tɜːnd ðɛm ˈəʊvə tʊ//🇺🇸 //wi tɜrn ðɛm ˈoʊvər tʊ//
MeaningTo give up or stop fighting.We gave them to someone else.
ExampleThe rebel soldiers were forced to surrender.We turned them over to the authorities after the incident.
RegisterNeutralNeutral
How commonTop 2,000 (common)Beyond 10,000 (less common)
CEFR levelC1-
Part of speechverb
Collocationsunconditionally, completely, immediately, order somebody to, agree to, refuse to, to, unconditionally, completely, immediately, order somebody to, agree to, refuse to, toturn over evidence, turn over information, turn over documents, turn over suspects, turn over control
Antonymsresist, fight, defend-
Common mistakesConfused with 'yield' — 'yield' can imply a more temporary submission., Used incorrectly as a noun instead of a verb., Misunderstand the emotional tone — 'surrender' can imply defeat, so be cautious in positive contexts.Confused with 'turn them in' which means to submit something., Using 'to' when it should be 'for' in some contexts., Misunderstanding the passive meaning.
Usage notesUsed in both personal and formal contexts. Appropriate in discussions about conflict, debates, or personal struggles. Avoid in overly casual settings.Use 'turn over' in situations where you're formally or informally passing responsibility or possession. Avoid using in casual, everyday conversation unless context is clear.

See it in real clips

Surrender
We turned them over to

Frequently asked questions: Surrender vs We turned them over to

What's the difference between Surrender and We turned them over to?

Surrender: To give up or stop fighting. We turned them over to: We gave them to someone else.

Which is more common: Surrender and We turned them over to?

Surrender is the most common in everyday English.

Can you show an example of each?

Surrender: The rebel soldiers were forced to surrender. We turned them over to: We turned them over to the authorities after the incident.

Can I use Surrender and We turned them over to interchangeably?

Not always. Surrender and We turned them over to 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.