throw in towel
Admit final defeat
To throw in the towel is to give up or admit defeat, from the boxing practice of a trainer tossing a towel into the ring to stop a fight and spare their fighter further punishment.
The phrase usually implies reluctant surrender after sustained effort: After six months of failed negotiations, we finally threw in the towel.
- surrenderCease resistance, yield
- quitCease doing something
- call it quitsCease effort or partnership
- give upStop attempting something
- give inCease resistance, concede
concede · forfeit · defeat · accept defeat · admit defeat · boxing · corner · ring · submission · wave · wave the white flag · white flag · admit · yield · resign · capitulate · cry uncle · exhausted
- giving upgive up, giving up, quit, quitting, surrender
- idiomstime flies, hit the sack, seize the day, ring a bell, break a leg
- surrendersurrender, surrenders, surrendering, I surrender, capitulate
- quittingquit, resign, resignation, stop, end
- Resignationresign, resigned, I give up, I surrender, I concede
- boxing rulesreferee, knockdown, knockout, TKO, round
throw in towelpersevere
Continue despite obstacles
persist · keep going · soldier on · press on · hang in there
throw in towelgo down swinging
Lose without giving up
fight to the finish · go the distance · never say die · leave it all on the field · finish strong
throw in towelfight to the finish
Contest until decisive end
go the distance · win · triumph · prevail · come out swinging
throw, towel, throws, threw, thrown, throwing, thrower, throwers, towels