ENGLISH
REFERENCE

chuck in

phr. v..
B2 Upper Intermediate Oxford

phr. v.. to stop doing something because you are bored or frustrated; to quit a job or a project suddenly.

phr. v.. to abandon a course of action, employment, or commitment, typically due to dissatisfaction or a lack of interest; carries a casual, slightly impulsive register.


SIMPLE

He decided to chuck in his job and travel the world.

CONTEXTUAL

After three months of failing the course, she chose to chuck it in and try something else.

COMPLEX

The lead architect threatened to chuck in the entire project if the board refused to approve his original vision for the site.

Particles
in
Separability
optional
Pattern
chuck + object + in
Usage

highly informal; the object can be a noun like 'job' or 'it' when the activity is already known.

Teaching tip

this is a British and Australian colloquialism; contrast with the more formal 'resign' or 'quit' and note that 'chuck' literally means to throw something carelessly.

Pitfall

He chucked in to his career.He chucked in his career.this phrasal verb is transitive and takes a direct object without an extra preposition like 'to'.

© 2026 English Reference