verb phrase🎓 English idiom

throw in the towel

to give up

What it means

To give up, admit defeat, or stop trying because you no longer believe you can succeed. It's used when someone abandons a difficult effort or contest.

Examples

  • After three failed attempts, he finally threw in the towel.
  • Don't throw in the towel now, you're so close to finishing.
  • The struggling restaurant threw in the towel after two hard years.
  • She refused to throw in the towel despite all the setbacks.

Where it comes from

From boxing, where a fighter's trainer throws a towel into the ring to signal surrender and stop the fight. The phrase (originally 'throw up the sponge') dates to the early 20th century.

Related idioms

#call it a day#bite the bullet#the last straw#pull the plug

🎓 Think you know your idioms?

Take the English Idioms Test — 20 terms, instant result, no signup.

Take the test

Built by the team behind Deep In.