# throw up the sponge

> English word · Verb

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

## Etymology
From a custom of the boxing ring, the person employed to sponge a pugilist between rounds throwing his sponge in the air in token of defeat.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/throw-up-the-sponge