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

See Examples For:

throw in the towel

Unlike bear-market bottoms, which typically end with a spasm of despair as traders throw in the towel, bull-market tops are far more gradual and less dramatic.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 20, 2026

After his defeat in the semi-finals of the Wuhan Open in August, O'Sullivan said he did not "want to throw in the towel just yet".

From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026

History shows bull markets that get past their fourth year rarely throw in the towel, according to Truist Advisory Services.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

"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

Because of their ravaged state when they arrived in camp the previous evening, I’d assumed that both men would decide to throw in the towel.

From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---

Related Words

• bow
• break down
• buckle
• capitulate
• cave in
• cease
• defer
• give in
• give way
• go down
• pass away
• perish
• quit
• wilt
• yield

---