# pick up one's marbles and go home

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/pick-up-ones-marbles-and-go-home
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To abruptly leave or abandon a situation or activity in which one is dissatisfied with the way it is progressing.

## Examples

- He did not win, so he picked up his marbles and went home.
- When the team started losing, the captain picked up his marbles and went home, leaving the rest of us to finish the game.
- Rather than engaging in a constructive debate about the proposed changes, the board member picked up his marbles and went home, effectively stalling the entire project.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.