go down swinging
Lose while fighting
To go down swinging is to fail or lose while still fighting, refusing to give up until the end.
From baseball, where a batter who swings at strike three shows more fight than one who watches it pass.
The phrase applies broadly to any defeat met with effort rather than resignation: The team went down swinging in the finals.
I'd rather go down swinging than quit.
- fightPhysical or verbal conflict
- gritDetermination or abrasive particles
- clashViolent disagreement or collision
- losing battleUnwinnable contest
- defeatVictory over another
tenacity · bravery · underdog · fighting chance · determination · defiance · never say die · hit · last stand · blaze of glory · baseball · valiant · fortitude · persistence · bitter end · final push · leave it all on the field · resolve
- combat idiomsstab in the back, dodge a bullet, in the crosshairs, fire away, take a shot
- failingfail, fails, collapse, flop, bomb
- losing phrasesgame over, you lose, lose out, defeated, beaten
go down swinginggive up
Stop attempting something
surrender · throw in the towel · roll over · capitulate · wave the white flag
go down swinginggive in
Cease resistance, concede
throw in the towel · concede · yield · back down · cower
go down swingingcower
Shrink back in dread
grovel · beg for mercy · crumble · fall apart · go quietly
going, down, downer, downs, downed, downing, swing, swings, swinging