win some, lose some

Idioms

It's not possible to win all the time, as in The coach was philosophical about our being shut out, saying “Win some, lose some.” This expression, generally uttered about a loss, originated in the early 1900s among gamblers who bet on sporting events. A variant, win some, lose some, some rained out, suggests that the idiom comes from baseball. Its figurative use dates from the 1940s. Also see you can't win 'em all.

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.

win some, lose some

You win some, lose some as part of the game.

From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2023

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