cry uncle

Idioms and Phrases

Also, say uncle . Concede defeat, as in The Serbs want the Bosnians to cry uncle , or If you say uncle right now, I'll let you go first in the next game . This phrase originated about 1900 as an imperative among school-children who would say, “Cry uncle when you've had enough (of a beating).” By the mid-1900s it was being used figuratively, as in the examples.

Example Sentences

He regards them not as suffering individuals but as leverage to force the West to cry uncle and urge Ukraine to sue for peace.

From Washington Post

So, in Rauch’s judgment, the good guys won this argument, even if evangelicals have refused to cry uncle.

From Washington Post

“You want to cry uncle sometimes,” manager David Ross said with a chuckle.

From Seattle Times

Or you finally cry uncle when faced with yet another unlabeled jar containing two tablespoons of a vinaigrette you don’t even remember whisking together.

From Washington Post

Just tie the authorities up for years and make them pour their limited resources into a case so they will give up and cry uncle – that's the Roy Cohn way.

From Salon