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Synonyms

pack it in

Idioms  

  1. Stop working or abandon an activity, as in Let's pack it in for the day. This usage alludes to packing one's things before departing, and during World War I became military slang for being killed. It also is used as an imperative ordering someone to stop, as in Pack it in! I've heard enough out of you. In Britain it is also put as pack it up. [Colloquial; early 1900s]

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.

"One day I just kind of realised it was going too far. My dad said to me, 'What are you doing with your life? You really need to pack it in.'"

From BBC • Nov. 29, 2025

After struggling with the thing for a while, you might decide to just pack it in and go back to the old, dumb, reliable model.

From Slate • May 16, 2024

Yet Davis, 91, wasn’t quite ready to pack it in — not least because he knew at least some of what was coming.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 4, 2024

“When you go down in a game several times and we’ve had some of the challenges that we’ve had over the last month it’s pretty easy to pack it in in those games,” Kapler said.

From Washington Times • Sep. 9, 2023

“Sure,” I said, being completely agreeable because I figured he was ready to pack it in.

From "Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet" by Joanne Proulx

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.