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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.

Every year thousands of dairy farms throw in the towel altogether, which comes with broader implications for America and rural communities.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 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

Bear markets tend to be more violent, with the market plunging as the few remaining bulls throw in the towel.

From Barron's • Nov. 27, 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.