Synonyms

white flag

American

noun

an all-white banner or piece of cloth, used as a symbol of surrender or truce.

idioms

hoist / show / wave the white flag, to give up; weaken; yield.

white flag British

noun

a white flag or a piece of white cloth hoisted to signify surrender or request a truce

"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

Other Word Forms

white-flag

adjective

Etymology

Origin of white flag

First recorded in 1590–1600

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.

See Examples For:

white flag

“But if they think I’m going to give up, wave the white flag, they got me wrong.”

From Salon ● Aug. 10, 2026

Externally, the move to trade away one of the league’s top scorers is seen as waving the white flag on yet another disappointing season.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026

In short, they are waving the white flag on the idea of predicting when the war will end and the oil will flow.

From MarketWatch ● Mar. 31, 2026

Guardiola appeared to waive the white flag as he replaced Erling Haaland 10 minutes from time to reserve the Norwegian's energy with City still fighting in four competitions.

From Barron's ● Jan. 17, 2026

But I can’t stop my hands from shaking, and when I take my packet out to put it on my desk, it’s like a trembling white flag just trying to call attention to itself.

From "The Benefits of Being an Octopus" by Ann Braden

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