win some, lose some

Idioms  

1. It's not possible to win all the time, as in The coach was philosophical about our being shut out, saying “Win some, lose some.” This expression, generally uttered about a loss, originated in the early 1900s among gamblers who bet on sporting events. A variant, win some, lose some, some rained out, suggests that the idiom comes from baseball. Its figurative use dates from the 1940s. Also see you can't win 'em all.

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Example Sentences

You win some, lose some as part of the game.

From BBC

“I’m just glad that they came and supported me. It’s not the outcome I wanted but, you know, it’s OK. It’s a part of basketball. Win some, lose some.”

From Seattle Times

Win some, lose some — but sometimes a historic win arrives decades after the fact.

From Washington Post

“It will be ‘win some, lose some,’ and the Supreme Court, I think, given its precedent, will define a middle ground.”

From Reuters

Win some, lose some — at the end of the day, I’m doing that I love to do.”

From Seattle Times