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[0927] Throw in the towel

🎲 Elbow grease
English Idioms
All Idioms

Explanation

  • To give up, quit, or admit defeat, especially after a struggle.

Origin

  • Comes from the sport of boxing.
  • When a boxer is being badly beaten and their coach or corner team believes they cannot or should not continue safely, they signal surrender to the referee by throwing a towel into the ring.
  • This practice dates back to at least the early 20th century and became a common idiom for quitting in any context.

Synonyms & Related Expressions

  • Give up.
  • Quit.
  • Call it quits. / Call it a day.
  • Surrender. / Concede defeat.
  • Bail. (Informal abandon a task or situation)
  • Tap out. (Informal, from MMA/wrestling signal submission)
  • Wave the white flag. (Signal surrender)

Alternatives

Slang/Informal:

  • Pack it in. (Stop doing something, quit)
  • Jack it in. (UK Slang Quit a job or task)
  • Bail. / Bounce. (Leave or abandon)
  • Tap out.
  • It's curtains for [something]. (It's the end)

Vulgar/Emphatic (Expressing strong finality or frustration):

  • Fuck it, I'm done.
  • Pack that shit in.
  • Kiss my ass goodbye, [task/job]. (Hostile quitting)

Milder/Standard:

  • Decide to stop.
  • Cease efforts.
  • Discontinue.
  • Acknowledge defeat.

Situational Appropriateness

  • Appropriate in most informal and semi-formal contexts.
  • May sound slightly informal in very formal settings, where withdraw, concede, or abandon the effort might be preferred.

Misunderstanding Warnings

  • Explain the boxing origin. Clarify that no literal towel is usually involved; it means to quit or surrender figuratively.

Examples

  • After hours of trying to fix the car, he finally threw in the towel and called a mechanic.
  • The project faced too many setbacks, and the team decided to throw in the towel.
  • Don't throw in the towel yet! We might still find a solution.

Dialogue

Anna: How's your attempt to learn coding going?

Ben: Honestly? I threw in the towel last week. I spent hours on tutorials, and nothing was clicking. It's just not for me.

Anna: Aw, really? That's a shame. But hey, at least you gave it a shot. No point forcing it if you're not enjoying it.

Ben: Yeah, exactly. Time to find a new hobby!

Social Media Examples

  • Blog Post Title: When is it Okay to Throw in the Towel on Your Side Hustle?
  • Facebook Status: After 3 days battling this impossible DIY project, I officially throw in the towel. Calling a professional tomorrow! #DIYfail #gaveup
  • Tweet: Was tempted to throw in the towel on marathon training after a tough run, but reminding myself why I started. #marathontraining #nevergiveup

Response Patterns

  • Sympathy: Oh no, that's too bad. / I'm sorry to hear that.
  • Encouragement (if urging not to quit): Don't give up! / Are you sure? / Maybe take a break and try again?
  • Understanding: Yeah, sometimes you just have to know when to quit. / It sounds like you made the right call.

Common Follow-up Questions/Actions

After someone says they (or someone else) threw in the towel:

  • People might ask why: What was the final straw? / What happened?
  • They might ask about future plans: So what will you do now?

If urging someone not to quit:

  • The speaker might offer help or suggest alternative strategies.

Conversation Starter

  • No.
  • Used to describe the act of quitting or admitting defeat.

Intonation

  • Often stated with resignation, disappointment, or frustration.
  • Can also be used defiantly in the negative (I'm not throwing in the towel!).
  • Emphasis on THROW IN the TOWEL.

Generation Differences

  • Widely understood and used across generations.

Regional Variations

  • Common in all major English-speaking regions.
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🎲 Elbow grease