throw in one's hand

verb

To stop attempting to do something; to give up.

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Meanings

verbthrow in one's hand (third-person singular simple present throws in one's hand, present participle throwing in one's hand, simple past threw in one's hand, past participle thrown in one's hand)

present singular third person throws in one's hand · participle present throwing in one's hand · past threw in one's hand · participle past thrown in one's hand · alternative throw one's hand

  1. To stop attempting to do something; to give up.

    The outcome was that the contractor threw in his hand, and the work was completed by the company's own engineer for the area.

    1954 August, H. M. Madgwick, “The Blaenau Festiniog Tunnel”, in Railway Magazine, page 569

Origin

throw + hand

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

throw in one's hand. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/throw%20in%20one's%20hand

MLA

“throw in one's hand.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/throw%20in%20one's%20hand. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “throw in one's hand,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/throw%20in%20one's%20hand.

Source: throw in one's hand on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.