throw the towel in

present singular third person throws the towel in · participle present throwing the towel in · past threw the towel in · participle past thrown the towel in

1. alternativeAlternative form of throw in the towel.

   The players are ashamed, and rightly so. Once the first goal went in they threw the towel in. I was disgusted with their lack of commitment.

   2000 September 10, John Wilford, quoting Paul Jewell, “Wimbledon wow woeful Wednesday”, in The Observer, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 03 Sep 2026

   2 more examples

   One key imponderable is the attitude of the companies that will no longer have a role in the business. It is worth noting here that several have already thrown the towel in or been gently pushed out, such as Stagecoach and National Express.

   2024 July 10, Christian Wolmar, “The future of the rail franchises is certainly uncertain”, in RAIL, number 1013, page 50

   After three minutes I think we all thought that Turkey had thrown the towel in. Its players made a horrible start to the game, conceding at least two chances worthy of goals before they actually did concede in the third minute.

   2026 June 25, Ed Mackey, “How the USMNT, Christian Pulisic lost to Turkey in World Cup 2026 group stage dead rubber”, in The Athletic, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 03 Sep 2026