cut one's losses
Quit while behind
To cut one's losses is to abandon a failing course of action before things get worse.
The phrase comes from trading—selling a declining investment rather than hoping it recovers.
More broadly, it means accepting a partial loss to prevent a total one: After three failed attempts, she decided to cut her losses and try a different approach.
The decision involves recognizing when persistence becomes foolish.
- budgetingAllocating funds systematically
- exitWay to leave
- bail outRescue from trouble
- breakInterrupt continuity
- foldBend onto itself
mitigation · retreat · release · acceptance · throw in the towel · detachment · move on · walk away · planning · pivoting · efficiency · contingency · damage control · investment · escape · sunk cost · prioritization · liquidation
cut one's lossesdouble down
Strengthen one's stance
throw good money after bad · go all in · bet the farm · go for broke · raise the stakes
cut one's lossesstay the course
Continue despite difficulties
soldier on · press on regardless · keep at it · see it through · never say die
cut one's lossesnever say die
Refusal to surrender
hang on · sunk cost fallacy · beat a dead horse · keep the faith
cuts, cutting, cutter, cutters, ones, oneself, loss, losses, lose