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Synonyms

call it quits

Idioms  

  1. Stop working, abandon something, give up, as in John is calling it quits for now or This ground is far too stony for a garden so I'm calling it quits. This idiom comes from cry quits, dating from the 1600s and meaning “declare even” or “get even.” The verb call was substituted in the late 1800s. Also see call it a day.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

After being broken in the third set, he immediately called for the trainer and, after a valiant attempt at his next service game, called it quits.

From BBC

Deciding to end a marriage can be difficult, painful and expensive, but the state is giving more couples who choose to amicably call it quits access to a low-cost divorce option.

From Los Angeles Times

After a six-decade run at the helm of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., the 95-year-old Buffett, arguably the world’s most famous and successful investor, will call it quits at the end of the year.

From MarketWatch

It wasn’t until the first flash of lightning that Roz finally called it quits.

From Literature

At the point they were ready to call it quits, the band was struggling to sell enough tickets to their shows to keep the dream alive.

From Los Angeles Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.