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Synonyms

throw in the towel

Cultural  

  1. To quit in defeat. The phrase comes from boxing, in which a fighter indicates surrender by throwing a towel into the ring: “After losing the election, he threw in the towel on his political career.”

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.

"Those at the bottom of the chain do the work and get paid last -- sometimes months later," he said, adding he was ready to throw in the towel and sell his machinery.

From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026

But Ellison refused to throw in the towel.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

NPR is tracking the number of lawmakers who have decided to throw in the towel this year.

From Slate • Jan. 14, 2026

In this regard, bull-market tops are not the mirror opposite of bear-market bottoms, which often are characterized by plunging sentiment as the last remaining optimists throw in the towel.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 2, 2025

Solos and clansmen alike were ready to throw in the towel.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline

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.