hand in/ hand out/ hand over (2025)

Cenzontle, so, ["hand over"] means relinquish, in that case?

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Yes, I think that's a good, higher-register synonym.
I think any of these "hand" expressions can sometimes be used figuratively, that is, without literal hands being involved.

subtile said:

ewie, so, I guess, that these hand [something] expressions would sound ridiculous if someone tries to use them in the context of text sent by e-mail, for example.

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I'd find that

odd, but I'd certainly use hand over figuratively:
The government eventually handed over power to the opposition [reluctance implied]

In the context of some insurances, customers are supposed to hand over their old, damaged phones (to the insurance company) to replace them with new ones.
Would hand over be the appropriate way of putting it?

Thanks in advance.

Dr. Benway said:

In the context of some insurances, customers are supposed to hand over their old, damaged phones (to the insurance company) to replace them with new ones.
Would hand over be the appropriate way of putting it?

Thanks in advance.

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Not really; it strongly suggests compulsion by the company, and unwillingness by the customers.

Also note that "insurance" is normally uncountable, and "insurances" is not idiomatic; it should instead be "types of insurance", or "kinds of insurance", etc.

ewie said:

In a classroom context? ~ not really. Teachers hand things out to pupils; pupils hand them in to teachers

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Hello, everyone!
One of the meanings of the verb “hand in” means to deliver something (such as an assignment) to person in authority.
My question is is it correct to use that verb when the delivery does not take place from hand to hand; for example, when it takes place by mail?
Please, feel free to suggest other verbs that can be useful for this purpose (to deliver something such an assignment to someone in authority by electronic means).
Thanks in advance. ´

I agree that give in, send in or submit would be the most likely expressions in BrE.

We don't use turn in in that sense in BrE. (Turn in is what you might do with illegal weapons, for example. Or criminals or fugitives might turn themselves in).

Wordy McWordface said:

We don't use turn in in that sense in BrE. (Turn in is what you might do with illegal weapons, for example. Or criminals or fugitives might turn themselves in).

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It's the same in AusE (unsurprisingly). I also turn in when I'm tired — meaning go to bed.

(I imagine it must be rather frustrating for English language learners to deal with so many phrasal verbs that have multiple meanings, as well as regional differences in meaning.)

Mr. Lewis said:

... to deliver something such an assignment to someone in authority by electronic means ...

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I'd only use "submit" for that. I can't think of any other verb that would be idiomatic for me in that situation (agreeing with @Welsh_Sion in #21).

LVRBC said:

And we don't use "give in" in that sense in US-E, so the safest international choices appear to be submit or send in.

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LVRBC said:

(Give in means something like surrender or concede in US-E.)

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That's what it means in BrE, too. That's an intransitive phrasal verb.
But when it's a transitive verb, the meaning is more literal. "Give in" is the opposite of "Give out" when used in this sense. For example, the teacher hands/gives out exam papers at the beginning of the lesson and the students hand/give them in at the end.

Gives out is possible to use that way in US English but I don't think it's all that common. I mean I guess it's fairly common with giving out information but not with things. A more common use is some kind of machine or body part being unable to continue working.

- My leg gave out and I couldn't walk anymore.