Abide vs Accept vs Follow vs Submit vs Uphold

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

Abide

Formal Top 5,000 (fairly common) C2 verb

Accept

Top 1,000 (very common) A2 verb

Follow

Top 1,000 (very common) A1 verb

Submit

Top 2,000 (common) B2 verb

Uphold

Top 2,000 (common) C1 verb

Most formal: Abide

	Abide	Accept	Follow	Submit	Uphold
Pronunciation	🇬🇧 //əˈbaɪd// 🇺🇸 //əˈbaɪd//	🇬🇧 /["/əkˈsept/","/əkˈsepts/","/əkˈseptɪd/","/əkˈseptɪŋ/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/əkˈsept/","/əkˈsepts/","/əkˈseptɪd/","/əkˈseptɪŋ/"]/	🇬🇧 /["/ˈfɒləʊ/","/ˈfɒləʊz/","/ˈfɒləʊd/","/ˈfɒləʊɪŋ/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/ˈfɑːləʊ/","/ˈfɑːləʊz/","/ˈfɑːləʊd/","/ˈfɑːləʊɪŋ/"]/	🇬🇧 /["/səbˈmɪt/","/səbˈmɪts/","/səbˈmɪtɪd/","/səbˈmɪtɪŋ/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/səbˈmɪt/","/səbˈmɪts/","/səbˈmɪtɪd/","/səbˈmɪtɪŋ/"]/	🇬🇧 /["/ʌpˈhəʊld/","/ʌpˈhəʊldz/","/ʌpˈheld/","/ʌpˈhəʊldɪŋ/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/ʌpˈhəʊld/","/ʌpˈhəʊldz/","/ʌpˈheld/","/ʌpˈhəʊldɪŋ/"]/
Meaning	To accept or follow a rule or decision.	To agree to receive something or to believe it is true.	To go after someone or something or do what they do.	To give something for someone to look at or decide on.	To support or maintain something.
Example	You must abide by the regulations in this agreement.	I am happy to accept your invitation to the party.	I will follow you to the store.	Please submit your application before the deadline.	We have a duty to uphold the law.
Register	Formal	Neutral	Neutral	Neutral	Neutral
How common	Top 5,000 (fairly common)	Top 1,000 (very common)	Top 1,000 (very common)	Top 2,000 (common)	Top 2,000 (common)
CEFR level	C2	A2	A1	B2	C1
Part of speech	verb	verb	verb	verb	verb
Collocations	abide by the rules, abide by the decision, abide by the law	eagerly, gladly, graciously, be glad to, be happy to, be reluctant to, from, happily, readily, fully, be happy to, be prepared to, be ready to, be commonly accepted, be generally accepted, be universally accepted, eagerly, gladly, graciously, be glad to, be happy to, be reluctant to, from, happily, readily, fully, be happy to, be prepared to, be ready to, be commonly accepted, be generally accepted, be universally accepted, happily, readily, fully, be happy to, be prepared to, be ready to, be commonly accepted, be generally accepted, be universally accepted	closely, reluctantly, dutifully, beckon somebody to, beckon to somebody to, being followed, follow close behind (somebody), follow right behind (somebody), closely, quickly, shortly, (be) followed by something, follow in the wake of something, closely, quickly, shortly, (be) followed by something, follow in the wake of something, carefully, to the letter, dutifully, faithfully, blindly, slavishly, be expected to, be likely to, follow in somebody’s footsteps, follow in the tradition of somebody/​something, follow suit, not necessarily, logically, naturally, (on) from, not quite, be easy to, be difficult to, be hard to	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	consistently, firmly, rigorously, have a duty to, be determined to, seek to, consistently, firmly, rigorously, have a duty to, be determined to, seek to
Antonyms	disobey, ignore, reject	reject, decline, refuse	lead, precede, guide	withdraw, cancel	disregard, abandon, violate
Common mistakes	Confusing with 'abandon'., Using it incorrectly with nouns instead of actions., Mixing up past forms; 'abode' is archaic.	Confused with 'except' - remember 'accept' means to receive., Using 'accept' without an object - always specify what is being accepted., Mixing up 'accept' and 'admit' - 'accept' is about receiving, while 'admit' often implies recognition.	Confusing 'follow' with 'lead' — they have opposite meanings., Using 'follow' without an object (e.g., 'I will follow' should specify who or what)., Mistakenly using 'follows' in the past tense instead of 'followed'.	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 'support' which can be more casual., Using it incorrectly in passive voice, e.g. 'The law is upheld by.', Mixing up the past tense; 'upholded' is incorrect.
Usage notes	Commonly used in legal or formal contexts. Less frequent in everyday conversation. Often paired with 'by' when referring to rules.	Used when someone agrees to something offered, like an invitation or a proposal. It's appropriate in both formal and casual contexts but may become less common in very informal speech.	Use 'follow' when discussing tracking someone physically or conceptually (like ideas or trends). For social media, 'follow' often describes subscribing to someone's updates. Avoid using it in overly formal contexts.	Used in formal and neutral contexts, such as in applications or proposals. Avoid using ‘submit’ in very casual conversations.	Often used in legal and ethical contexts, such as 'upholding the law' or 'upholding values'. It's appropriate in both formal and neutral settings but less common in casual conversations.

See it in real clips

How if I accept Jesus into my heart,

Breaking Bad › S1 E5

You have to accept.

How if I accept Jesus into my heart,

Breaking Bad › S1 E5

You have to accept.

Accept

Let's follow him and see how he behaves.

The Lord Of The Rings › The Fellowship Of The Ring

Isildur, hurry! Follow me.

The Lord Of The Rings › The return of the king

Grima, you need not follow him.

Let's follow him and see how he behaves.

The Lord Of The Rings › The Fellowship Of The Ring

Isildur, hurry! Follow me.

Follow

Frequently asked questions: Abide vs Accept vs Follow vs Submit vs Uphold

What's the difference between Abide, Accept, Follow, Submit, and Uphold?

Abide: To accept or follow a rule or decision. Accept: To agree to receive something or to believe it is true. Follow: To go after someone or something or do what they do. Submit: To give something for someone to look at or decide on. Uphold: To support or maintain something.

Which is more formal: Abide, Accept, Follow, Submit, and Uphold?

Abide is the most formal of these.

Which is more advanced: Abide, Accept, Follow, Submit, and Uphold?

Abide is the highest level, at C2, on the CEFR scale.

Are Abide, Accept, Follow, Submit, and Uphold the same CEFR level?

Abide: C2, Accept: A2, Follow: A1, Submit: B2, Uphold: C1 on the CEFR scale.

What part of speech are Abide, Accept, Follow, Submit, and Uphold?

Abide: verb, Accept: verb, Follow: verb, Submit: verb, Uphold: verb.

Can you show an example of each?

Abide: You must abide by the regulations in this agreement. Accept: I am happy to accept your invitation to the party. Follow: I will follow you to the store. Submit: Please submit your application before the deadline. Uphold: We have a duty to uphold the law.

Can I use Abide, Accept, Follow, Submit, and Uphold interchangeably?

Not always. Abide, Accept, Follow, Submit, and Uphold 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.