picked up one's marbles and went home

A form of pick up one's marbles and go home — To abruptly leave or abandon a situation or activity in which one is dissatisfied with the way it is progressing.

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Meanings

verb
  1. pastsimple past of pick up one's marbles and go home
Cite this entry
APA

picked up one's marbles and went home. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/picked%20up%20one's%20marbles%20and%20went%20home

MLA

“picked up one's marbles and went home.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/picked%20up%20one's%20marbles%20and%20went%20home. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “picked up one's marbles and went home,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/picked%20up%20one's%20marbles%20and%20went%20home.

Source: picked up one's marbles and went home on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.