# take one's ball and go home

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/take-ones-ball-and-go-home
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To cease participating in an activity that has turned to one's disadvantage, especially out of spite, or in a way that prevents others from participating as well.

## Origin

The idiom derives from the image of children engaged in a sport where the ball is the exclusive property of a single participant. If the owner of the equipment feels slighted or is losing the game, they simply depart with the ball, thereby terminating the activity for the entire group. It is an exercise in leveraging private ownership to avoid an unfavourable social outcome.

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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.