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Synonyms

towel

American  
[tou-uhl, toul] / ˈtaʊ əl, taʊl /

noun

  1. an absorbent cloth or paper for wiping and drying something wet, as one for the hands, face, or body after washing or bathing.

verb (used with object)

toweled, toweling, towelled, towelling

  1. to wipe or dry with a towel.

idioms

  1. throw in the towel, to concede defeat; give up; yield.

    He vowed he would never throw in the towel.
towel British  
/ ˈtaʊəl /

noun

  1. a square or rectangular piece of absorbent cloth or paper used for drying the body

  2. a similar piece of cloth used for drying plates, cutlery, etc

  3. See throw in

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. to dry or wipe with a towel

  2. slang to assault or beat (a person)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
towel More Idioms  

  1. see crying towel; throw in the sponge (towel).

Etymology

Origin of towel

1250–1300; Middle English (noun) < Old French toaille cloth for washing or wiping < West Germanic *thwahliō (> Old High German dwahilla, akin to dwahal bath); cognate with Gothic thwahl, thwēal washing

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.

“But if the conflict drags on, gasoline prices move even higher in the summer driving season, and stocks continue to falter, consumers could throw in the towel and start to pull back on their spending.”

From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026

Of course, the barbershop, where ball talk is real talk, and where the expectations around the Dodgers upcoming quest for a three-peat recently smothered me like a hot towel to the head.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 22, 2026

If you faced challenges in your business or burned out in your career, did you throw in the towel or step back and breathe, and ask what your body was telling you?

From MarketWatch • Mar. 19, 2026

During the match, there were clashes between Moroccan ball boys and Senegal reserve goalkeeper Yehvann Diouf, as he repeatedly attempted to prevent them from stealing Mendy's towel from next to the goal.

From BBC • Mar. 18, 2026

The kit was so small that Bat couldn’t even tell he was in the towel except for the tiny face that peeked out.

From "A Boy Called Bat" by Elana K. Arnold

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.