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quits

American  
[kwits] / kwɪts /

adjective

  1. on equal terms by repayment or retaliation.


idioms

  1. call it quits,

    1. to end one's activity, especially temporarily.

      At 10 o'clock I decided to call it quits for the day.

    2. to abandon an effort.

  2. 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.

quits British  
/ kwɪts /

adjective

  1. on an equal footing; even

    now we are quits

  2. to agree to end a dispute, contest, etc, agreeing that honours are even

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

interjection

  1. an exclamation indicating willingness to give up

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

See Examples For:

Jamie Miller, who is originally from Pontprennau in Cardiff, was close to calling it quits on his music career at the start of 2026, deciding it was his "last chance", financially and emotionally.

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026

The so-called quits rate stayed at 1.9% for the second month in a row, matching the lowest level since 2015.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026

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

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026

It’s just as relatable to see why two people decide to call it quits because of luck, timing and temperament as it is watching them happily pair off.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026

He thought it was time to call it quits.

From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez

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