throw one's hat in the ring

Idioms  

1. Also, toss one's hat in the ring. Announce one's candidacy or enter a contest, as in The governor was slow to throw his hat in the ring in the senatorial race. This term comes from boxing, where throwing a hat in the ring formerly indicated a challenge; today the idiom nearly always refers to political candidacy. [c. 1900]

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Example Sentences

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throw one's hat in the ring

V. run for office, stand for office; campaign, stump; throw one's hat in the ring; announce one's candidacy.

From Roget's Thesaurus of English Words and Phrases by Peter Mark Roget