cry uncle
Give in verbally
Cry uncle means to admit defeat or surrender, especially under pressure or duress.
The phrase typically appears when someone is being physically or figuratively overwhelmed and finally gives in: He held his brother down until he cried uncle.
The origin of why "uncle" signals submission is unclear, but the expression has been American slang since at least the early 1900s.
Sometimes shortened to just say uncle or holler uncle.
Yield under pressure
- concedeAdmit something reluctantly
- give inCease resistance, concede
- submitPresent for consideration
- yieldProduce or relinquish
cave · fold · relent · succumb · acquiesce · back down · throw in the towel · wave the white flag
Having lost a contest
- conqueredDefeated and took control
- overcomePrevail against difficulty
- overpoweredExcessively dominant or conquered
- subduedReduced in intensity
vanquished · bested · outmatched · outplayed · crushed · routed · trounced · dominated
capitulate
Yield under pressure
yield · cave · fold · relent · succumb · acquiesce · back down · throw in the towel · wave the white flag · admit defeat
beaten
Having lost a contest
- conqueredDefeated and took control
- overcomePrevail against difficulty
- overpoweredExcessively dominant or conquered
subdued · vanquished · bested · outmatched · outplayed · crushed · routed · trounced · dominated · humbled
- surrendersurrender, surrenders, surrendering, I surrender, capitulate
- quittingquit, resign, resignation, stop, end
- Giving Ingive in, back down, cave in, throw in the towel, wave the white flag
- losing phrasesgame over, you lose, lose out, defeated, beaten
cry unclefight back
Oppose an attacker
hold out · stand firm · resist · keep fighting · dig in
cry unclepersevere
Continue despite obstacles
persist · hang in there · keep going · stick it out · endure