How do you say “Throw in the towel” in German?
The closest natural German equivalent is Das Handtuch werfen, which literally means “To throw the towel”. English speakers use throw in the towel to mean to stop trying and admit defeat because a situation has become too difficult. A direct, common match for giving up after a struggle. It is informal and common in everyday German.
Closest natural German
Das Handtuch werfen
/das ˈhanttuːx ˈvɛʁfn̩/
- Literal meaning
- “To throw the towel”
- Register
- informal
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
98 out of 100
What a native German speaker would actually say
Both languages use the towel as a signal that the struggle is over. The German expression carries the same sense of admitting defeat.
It fits work, difficult projects and personal efforts. As in English, it can sound sympathetic or critical depending on who says it.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning5 out of 5
- Tone5 out of 5
- Context5 out of 5
- Literal similarity5 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
What are other ways to say it in German?
Aufgeben
Literally: “To give up”
The plain choice in any everyday context.
Die Flinte ins Korn werfen
Literally: “To throw the gun into the grain”
More colourful, often used to urge someone not to give up.
Don't translate it literally
Das Handtuch hineinwerfen
The established idiom uses “werfen” without “hinein”, which suggests throwing into a specific place.
Word-for-word versions like these are understood as literal statements in German, not as expressions.
In context
English
After three failed attempts, I threw in the towel.
German
Nach drei gescheiterten Versuchen habe ich das Handtuch geworfen.
English
Don’t throw in the towel yet.
German
Wirf noch nicht das Handtuch.
Related expressions
Last reviewed 2026-09-12