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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.

See Examples For:

Without such predictability, residents and businesses may simply call it quits.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026

"I love this job but I am always ready to call it quits if need be."

From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026

In other cases, it has allowed workers to have a more secure retirement when they do call it quits.

From Barron's ● Jun. 13, 2026

Rather than provide proof, he attacked the media, accused major news organizations of corruption and eventually terminated the interview, telling Welker, “Let’s call it quits because I’ve had enough.”

From Salon ● Jun. 11, 2026

I'm not going to get anywhere if I'm that ready to call it quits.

From "The Sky at Our Feet" by Nadia Hashimi

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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.

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