# hand in

CEFR B1 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/hand-in
Updated: 2026-04-24

## Definition

to give a piece of work or a document to someone in authority, like a teacher or a boss.

For teachers: to submit a completed assignment, document, or item to a person in a position of authority for review or processing.

## Examples

- Please hand in your homework by Friday.
- After finishing the exam, the students walked to the front of the room to hand in their papers.
- The employee decided to hand in his resignation after receiving a much better offer from a rival firm.

## Pitfalls

- Not "I handed in it late." but "I handed it in late." — when the object is a pronoun like 'it', it must go between the verb and the particle.

## Usage notes

- often used with school assignments, official forms, or legal documents.
- Teaching tip: contrast with 'give in' (which can also mean to surrender) and 'submit' (the more formal equivalent used in academic or professional writing).

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.