raise the white flag
idiom
: to admit defeat
They raised the white flag soon after the election results came in.
Examples of raise the white flag in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Also, an organization’s decision to raise the white flag during a season can convey a negative message to its fan base.
—
Mark Lasota, Forbes.com, 9 May 2025
Sports transfers allowed The final rule change in which members voted to raise the white flag of surrender on transfers came in April 2017.
—Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 22 Nov. 2023
Nazis Surrender at Stalingrad Facing dwindling supplies, a cruel Russian winter, and an unbreakable Soviet defense, German soldiers raise the white flag.
—Foreign Affairs, 26 Dec. 2016
And while their playoff chances remain slim, Doug Wilson was careful not to raise the white flag and send the message a general manager never wants with 15 games remaining.
—Ross McKeon, San Francisco Chronicle, 12 Apr. 2021
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Mark Lasota, Forbes.com, 9 May 2025
Sports transfers allowed The final rule change in which members voted to raise the white flag of surrender on transfers came in April 2017.
—Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 22 Nov. 2023
Nazis Surrender at Stalingrad Facing dwindling supplies, a cruel Russian winter, and an unbreakable Soviet defense, German soldiers raise the white flag.
—Foreign Affairs, 26 Dec. 2016
And while their playoff chances remain slim, Doug Wilson was careful not to raise the white flag and send the message a general manager never wants with 15 games remaining.
—Ross McKeon, San Francisco Chronicle, 12 Apr. 2021
Cite this Entry
“Raise the white flag.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/raise%20the%20white%20flag. Accessed 24 May. 2025.
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