throw one's hat in the ring

Idioms

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]

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.

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 Roget, Peter Mark

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023