throw in the sponge

“Washington has again taken the initiative to escalate the fight in the hope that Beijing will throw in the sponge as early as possible. But Beijing regards the trade war as an unavoidable trial by fire, from which the country will emerge stronger.”

“When we reach the point of using DDT, parathion, chlordane, and other new insecticides as routine control measures in the same way we have used the inorganic chemicals in the past, entomologists interested in biological control may as well throw in the sponge,” he says.

So why not throw in the sponge on Laetrile?

Congress was ready this week to throw in the sponge.

Ever since Depression II, Street sages have guessed at Pierce's losses, wondered when he would start dismantling offices or throw in the sponge.