To throw up the sponge

0.03 sec.

to give up a contest; to acknowledge defeat; - from a custom of the prize ring, the person employed to sponge a pugilist between rounds throwing his sponge in the air in token of defeat; - now, throw in the towel is more common, and has the same origin and meaning.

See also: Sponge

How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content.

?Page tools

Printer friendly
Cite / link
Email

Feedback
Add definition

? Mentioned in

Bow
give

Knock-out
knockout

sponge
submit

throw in

Dictionary/thesaurus browser

? Full browser

To throw one's self on
To throw out
To throw over
To throw overboard
to throw the book at
To throw up
To throw up another's heels
To throw up the sponge
To thrust away
To thrust in
To thrust off
To thrust on
To thrust one's nose into
To thrust one's self in
To thrust out

Dictionary, Thesaurus, and Translations

Free Tools:	For surfers: Free toolbar & extensions \| Word of the Day \| Help For webmasters: Free content \| Linking \| Lookup box \| Double-click lookup \| Partner with us

All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional. Terms of Use.