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throw up one's hands

Indicate or express utter hopelessness. For example, Jim was getting nowhere so he threw up his hands and abandoned the argument. This idiom alludes to a traditional gesture for giving up.

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You may have read the word "simmer" in a recipe or two, but what does it really mean?
To cook in water that begins cold and then reaches a boil.
To stew in a sauce for a long time.
To cook in water, just below boiling temperature.
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Words nearby throw up one's hands

throw the book at, throw the book at someone, throw together, throw to the wolves, throw up, throw up one's hands, throw up to, throw weight, thru, thrum, thrum-eyed
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.