quits
Americanadjective
idioms
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call it quits,
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to end one's activity, especially temporarily.
At 10 o'clock I decided to call it quits for the day.
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to abandon an effort.
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cry quits, to agree to end competition and consider both sides equal.
It became too dark to continue play and they decided to cry quits.
adjective
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on an equal footing; even
now we are quits
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to agree to end a dispute, contest, etc, agreeing that honours are even
interjection
Usage
What else does quits mean? If someone quits or calls it quits, they abruptly leave or give up on something, especially leaving a job, relationship, or game.
Etymology
Origin of quits
1470–80; perhaps < Medieval Latin quittus quit 1
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.
He kept working for a few more years, then called it quits earlier this year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
De Niro and Hightower called it quits in 2018, and the socialite then offloaded the home in March 2025 for $18 million.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 1, 2026
You might want kids, but you called it quits with your fiancé and the next few years at work are going to be pretty busy?
From Slate ● Aug. 29, 2026
Doug Beattie quits UUP as clear his membership no longer 'tenable'
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 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
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.
