θroʊ ɪn ðə ˈtaʊəl
Sports
informal
beginner
- Literally:
- Throwing a towel into a boxing ring
What does "throw in the towel" mean?
- To give up or admit defeat
- To stop trying
Examples
- After years of struggling, he threw in the towel.
- Don't throw in the towel—keep trying!
- She was ready to throw in the towel on the project.
Origin
From boxing—a trainer throws a towel into the ring to signal their fighter's surrender. Adopted into general use.
How to use it
From sports but used in any context. Implies reluctant admission of failure.
Similar expressions
give up
surrender
quit
admit defeat
call it quits
Opposites
keep fighting
persevere
stay the course
Related idioms
- no pain no gain
Success requires hard work and sacrifice
- ball is in your court
It's your turn to take action or make a decision
- like riding a bicycle
A skill that, once learned, is never forgotten
- drop the ball
To fail to do something important; to make a mistake
- level playing field
A situation where everyone has an equal opportunity
- on the ball
Alert and competent
Use it in a practice answer
Try "throw in the towel" in a CELPIP-style Speaking or Writing task. The AI feedback tells you whether your word choice worked.