tirar la toalla

[t̪iˈɾaɾ la t̪oˈaʝa]

/[t̪iˈɾaɾ la t̪oˈaʝa]/ phrase

The verdict

“tirar la toalla” is uncommon Spanish (outside the top frequency list), classed as a phrase. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency Spanish
15
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Rendirse, dejar de luchar o esforzarse.

Corpus desk

Index ES-tirar-la-toalla · tirar la toalla · Spanish

tirar la toalla · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 15 letters
  • VOW-6 6 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "T" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for tirar la toalla
PropertyValue
Headwordtirar la toalla
LanguageSpanish
Part of speechPhrase
IPA[t̪iˈɾaɾ la t̪oˈaʝa]
Letters15
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Cola larga: rango de “tirar la toalla” en español

tirar la toallaestá más allá de las 100.000 formas más frecuentes del español, en la cola de léxico especializado o poco usado donde la duda ortográfica aprieta.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

tirar la toalla is uncommon Spanish outside the top frequency list, classed as aphrase, transcribed [t̪iˈɾaɾ la t̪oˈaʝa]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Rendirse, dejar de luchar o esforzarse.".

No generated misspelling entries exist for tirar la toalla in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. Our dataset records no confusable match here, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, so any spelling logic here comes from how the word's sounds map to letters, not a documented origin story. The correct Spanish form is tirar la toalla, spelled T-I-R-A-R- -L-A- -T-O-A-L-L-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    Rendirse, dejar de luchar o esforzarse.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

These source excerpts show how tirar la toalla appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Los Nacionales de Washington traspasaron el martes al intermedista Daniel Murphy a los Cachorros de Chicago y al primera base Matt Adams a los Cardenales de San Luis, con lo que esencialmente tiraron la toalla en una decepcionante temporada.

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "tirar la toalla"?
"tirar la toalla" is spelled T-I-R-A-R- -L-A- -T-O-A-L-L-A. The IPA pronunciation is [t̪iˈɾaɾ la t̪oˈaʝa].
What does "tirar la toalla" mean?
As a phrase, "tirar la toalla" means: Rendirse, dejar de luchar o esforzarse.
How do you pronounce "tirar la toalla"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "tirar la toalla" is [t̪iˈɾaɾ la t̪oˈaʝa]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "tirar la toalla" come from?
"tirar la toalla" is a Spanish word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list