Throw in the towel

To "throw in the towel" means to express surrender or give up in a situation, often after facing disappointment or difficulty. It originates from boxing, where a boxer's trainer would literally throw a towel into the ring to indicate that their fighter could no longer continue and was conceding defeat. Nowadays, the phrase is used figuratively in various contexts to convey someone's decision to quit or abandon a task, goal, or challenge.