🗓️ Idiom: Throw in the Towel (v)
💬 Meaning
- To give up or admit defeat, especially after trying hard to succeed.
- It often refers to quitting a task, job, or relationship when it becomes too difficult or unmanageable.
🧠 Example Sentences
- After months of trying to fix the partnership, he finally threw in the towel.
- She didn’t want to throw in the towel, but the project had no support.
- They threw in the towel on the negotiation after failing to reach an agreement.
🏛️ Origin
This idiom originates from boxing. When a boxer’s team wanted to stop the fight, they would throw a towel into the ring to signal surrender. Today, it’s used to describe giving up in any situation.
📝 Practice Exercises
1. Fill in the blank:
After several failed attempts to win the contract, the sales team decided to __________.
Answer
throw in the towel
2. Choose the correct meaning of “throw in the towel”:
A) To celebrate a victory
B) To delay a decision
C) To give up or admit defeat
Answer
C) To give up or admit defeat
3. Rewrite the sentence using: Throw in the Towel
“They tried to get back the client many times then gave up.”
Answer
They tried to get back the client many times then threw in the towel.
ℹ️ Other Useful Pages
👉 Relationship and Networking Idioms
👉 Business English Idioms List
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Rob is a CELTA qualified English teacher with 15 years of international experience. He has a BSc and PGDip from Loughborough and St Andrews universities in the UK. He has taught in Thailand and Saudi Arabia and now works with professionals worldwide.
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