You're staring at your phone or the Sunday paper. Six letters. The hint says "submit to," and you immediately think of obey. Or maybe yield. But neither fits the grid. Crosswords are a weird psychological game where the constructor is trying to bait you into a specific lane of thought just so they can pull the rug out from under you. It’s frustrating. It’s also exactly why we keep playing.
When you see submit to crossword clue, you aren't just looking for a synonym; you are looking for the specific "flavor" of the word the editor wants today.
The Linguistic Trap of the Submit To Crossword Clue
The English language is messy. Words like "submit" have multiple personalities. Are we talking about a physical surrender on a battlefield? Or are we talking about handing in a tax return? If you're doing the New York Times crossword, Will Shortz and his team love to play with these dualities.
Take the word ACCEDE. It’s a classic six-letter answer for "submit to." You’ll see it in the Monday puzzles because it’s a standard, high-frequency word. But as the week goes on, the clues get craftier. On a Friday or Saturday, "submit to" might not be a verb at all—it could be part of a pun or a literal instruction.
Honestly, most people fail because they stick to the first definition that pops into their heads. If you think "yield," you might miss DEFER. If you think "give in," you might miss BOWTO. The key is to realize that "submit" is often a placeholder for "agreeing under pressure."
Real Examples Found in Major Publications
Let's look at the actual data from the last few years of major puzzles like the LA Times, WSJ, and the NYT. These are the heavy hitters that consistently appear when you search for a submit to crossword clue.
- DEFER: This is a favorite. It’s short, punchy, and fits into tight corners of the grid. It implies a level of respect or professional hierarchy.
- OBEY: The most literal interpretation. You’ll usually find this in the "Easy" section of the USA Today puzzles.
- YIELD: Five letters. High vowel count. It's a constructor's dream because of that 'I' and 'E' in the middle.
- SUCCUMB: This one is darker. It’s a seven-letter answer that usually shows up in late-week puzzles where the difficulty spikes.
- KOWTOW: A bit more niche, but it appears when the constructor needs those tricky 'K' and 'W' placements.
Why Context is King in Modern Puzzles
Crosswords aren't just about vocabulary anymore. They’re about cultural context. Back in the 1970s, a "submit to" clue would almost always be a dry, dictionary-style synonym. Today, editors like David Steinberg or Erik Agard often use "misdirection clues."
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If the clue is "Submit to, as an editor," the answer might be SENDIN.
Notice the difference? One is a state of being (yielding), and the other is a literal action (mailing a manuscript). If you don't catch that subtle "as an editor" tag, you'll be cycling through "obey" and "yield" until your brain hurts.
Kinda makes you want to throw the pen across the room, doesn't it?
The Mechanics of the Grid
The length of the word is your first filter. If you have four boxes, CEDE or BOWS are your best bets. Cede is particularly common in historical or political contexts. If a nation is forced to "submit to" another, they cede territory.
If you have five boxes, ADAPT might even work in some weirdly specific scientific contexts, though YIELD remains the king of the five-letter count.
When you hit six letters, the world opens up. ACCEDE is the gold standard, but don't overlook ASSENT. These words feel similar, but they aren't identical. Assent is more about agreement, while accede implies a bit of a "fine, have it your way" attitude.
Strategies for Breaking Through the Mental Block
Stop focusing on the word itself. Seriously.
Look at the crossing words. If you have the second letter and it’s a 'U', you’re likely looking at SUCCUMB. If the third letter is an 'E', you're probably looking at DEFER or CEDE (if it's a 4-letter word).
I’ve spent hours looking at these grids, and the most successful solvers are those who treat the clues like a conversation. If someone said to you, "I finally had to submit to their demands," what word would they use next? They’d say they CAVED.
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CAVEIN is a common six-letter (well, five letters plus a space, or a six-letter block in a "rebus" puzzle) answer that captures the slangy, conversational tone of modern American crosswords.
Common Variations You'll Encounter
- RELENT: This is when someone submits after being stubborn for a long time.
- KNEEL: A more dramatic, physical version of the clue.
- CAPITULATE: Rare, because it's long (10 letters!), but it’s the ultimate "big word" for submission.
- GIVEIN: A phrasal verb that appears constantly.
The Secret Role of the Editor
You have to remember that a crossword is a human creation. A person sat down and chose "submit to" because it’s vague. Vague is good for difficulty.
Editors like Christina Ianzito or Mike Shenk use these "short-phrase clues" to bridge different sections of the puzzle. If the north section of the puzzle is full of hard proper nouns (like obscure 1950s actors or European rivers), they’ll use a "submit to" clue as a "gimme" to help you get back into the flow. But they only give you that help if you can see past the first definition.
The nuance of "submission" changes based on the publication. The New Yorker’s puzzles tend to be more "literary," so they might lean toward ACQUIESCE. Meanwhile, a local newspaper puzzle might stick to OBEY.
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Actionable Tips for Your Next Puzzle
If you’re stuck on a submit to crossword clue, don't just stare at the white boxes. Try these specific shifts in perspective.
- Check the Tense: If the clue is "Submitted to," the answer must end in -ED (like YIELDED or CEDED). If it's "Submitting to," look for -ING.
- Look for "Tags": If the clue has a question mark at the end, like "Submit to?," the answer is probably a pun. It might be HANDIN (like handing in a paper) or something equally cheeky.
- Say it Out Loud: Sometimes your ears find the synonym faster than your eyes.
- Vowel Count: If you see a lot of blanks, count the vowels you already have. Words like ACCEDE and ACQUIESCE are vowel-heavy. Use them to bridge gaps in consonant-heavy sections.
- The Rebus Factor: On Thursdays (especially in the NYT), "submit" might be part of a rebus where "SUB" or "MIT" fits into a single square. If the word seems way too long for the space, check if "SUB" can be squeezed into one box.
The next time you're faced with this specific clue, remember that the constructor isn't your enemy. They're just a person who loves language as much as you do. They want you to find the answer, but they want you to work for it. Start with the most common 5 and 6-letter variations like YIELD, DEFER, and ACCEDE. If those don't work, look for phrasal verbs like GIVE IN or BOW TO.
Mastering these common "glue" words is what separates a casual solver from someone who can finish the Saturday puzzle without reaching for a dictionary. Stay flexible, keep the crossing letters in mind, and don't be afraid to erase an answer that felt "right" but doesn't actually fit the vibe of the rest of the grid.