pack it in

IPA/pˈak ɪt ˈɪn/
IPA/pˈæk ɪɾ ˈɪn/

pack it in — idiom

1. to give up a job, game, or other activity because you have decided not to carry

1.idiomB2
Definition

to give up a job, game, or other activity because you have decided not to carry on

Example

After three bad months of sales, Christopher packed it in and opened a cafe.

pack it in after repeated failure at work

By midnight, Hana was exhausted and packed it in for the night.

pack it in for the night

Common collocations
  • pack it in for the night
  • decide to pack it in
  • tell someone to pack it in
Synonyms
  • quit

    the closest general verb, used for leaving a job or stopping an activity

  • give up

    broader and often less conversational than pack it in

  • call it a day

    usually means stopping for now rather than leaving for good

Antonyms
  • carry on

    to keep going instead of stopping

Grammar Patterns

pack it in

pack it in for the night

tell someone to pack it in

Usage Note

Common in spoken English when someone stops because continuing feels tiring, frustrating, or pointless. It is also used as a blunt order, as in "Pack it in!", telling somebody to stop immediately.

Common Mistakes

She packed it in at the box.
She packed it in after two rounds.
the phrase means to quit an activity, not to put something into a container.
He packed in it after lunch.
He packed it in after lunch.
the pronoun stays fixed inside the idiom and does not move.

Etymology

English

This informal phrase grows out of the ordinary verb "pack" in the idea of closing something up and going away. From that picture, "pack it in" came to mean giving up the task in front of you and stopping, either for the day or for good. The word "it" does not point to a specific thing here; it is simply part of the fixed expression.