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Question

Difficulty: MediumIdioms and Idiomatic Expressions

Which word correctly completes the established idiomatic expression in the sentence below?

Answer:When the startup's lead investor abruptly withdrew financial backing, the founder refused to throw in the 【towel】 and persevered until new sponsors were secured.

Answer

towel
The established idiomatic expression is 'throw in the towel', originating from boxing to signify admitting defeat or quitting a contest. In this sentence, refusing to 'throw in the towel' correctly conveys that the founder refused to quit.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the contextual meaning of the sentence.
The sentence depicts a founder who refuses to surrender or give up despite facing a serious setback.
Understanding the context helps identify the idiomatic phrase meaning 'to admit defeat'.
2
Identify the standard idiomatic expression that signifies giving up or admitting defeat.
The conventional English idiom is 'throw in the towel'.
Idioms rely on fixed, invariant lexical combinations established by historical usage.

Key Concept

Idiomatic Expressions - Fixed Phrase Completion
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Idioms and Idiomatic Expressions

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