# throw up the sponge

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/throw-up-the-sponge
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To give up a contest; to acknowledge defeat; to throw in the towel.

## Examples

- He decided to throw up the sponge after losing the game.
- You should never throw up the sponge during a difficult exam.
- The team struggled for hours, but they finally threw up the sponge when the score became impossible to beat.
- After trying to fix the broken engine all afternoon, the mechanic threw up the sponge and called for a tow truck.
- The small company had to throw up the sponge when a much larger competitor moved into the same neighborhood.
- Despite his initial determination to win the legal battle, the mounting costs eventually forced him to throw up the sponge and accept the settlement.

## Origin

From a custom of the boxing ring, whereby the person employed to sponge a pugilist between rounds would throw his sponge into the air as a token of defeat. Use of the phrase dates to the mid-19th century, recording the moment a corner man surrendered on behalf of a fighter who was no longer in a position to negotiate the terms of his own consciousness.

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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.