Meaning

To "throw in the towel" is to give up, to admit you can't win or finish something. It comes from boxing: when a fighter is taking too much punishment, his trainer throws a towel into the ring to stop the fight. So the phrase carries a sense of defeat, but also of good sense. Sometimes stopping is the smart move.

It's informal and neutral, common at work, in sports and at home: "After three failed attempts, we threw in the towel and called a plumber." It's heard most in the negative, as a promise to keep trying: "I'm not throwing in the towel yet."

Compare it with "call it a day". Calling it a day means stopping for now; throwing in the towel means giving up on the goal. If you say "I'm throwing in the towel on this project" to your manager, they will hear that you think it can't succeed.

In a conversation

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Say it out loud

Tap a sentence to hear it. Say it after the voice.

Check yourself

1"After six months, she threw in the towel on the business." What happened?
2Which sentence means stopping for now, not giving up?

Practice · 3 min

Listen, then repeat. Put the weight on "throw" and "towel". Keep "in the" small.

Say it today

Use it once in a real conversation before tomorrow. Out loud counts, even to yourself.