Dictionary

strike one's flag en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio

Meanings

1. (especially) To take down one's national or other representative flag in order to indicate surrender.
   • An Austro-Prussian army of 120.000 men . . . is of itself so imposing a spectacle that one is tempted to believe the little Kingdom of Denmark will strike its flag without firing a shot. 1864 February 7, “Very Latest Per Edinburgh”, in New York Times, retrieved 02 Jul 2015:
   • The enemy having yielded to our mercy and struck their flag, we ceased our fire, and thinking the worst over and done, I watched where Belvedere conned the ship with voice and gesture. 1921, Jeffery Farnol, chapter 12, in Martin Conisby's Vengeance:
   • At length, having lost her fore and main-top-masts, and her mizzen-mast having been shot away to the deck, . . . the English frigate was reduced to the last extremity. Captain Cardan ordered his signal quarter-master to strike the flag. 1850, Herman Melville, chapter 74, in White Jacket:
2. (broadly, idiomatic) To yield, give up, or surrender.
   • The point of this exercise wouldn't be to cause one side of the argument to see that the other is correct and strike their flag. 2014, David Berreby, “What If We Start Talking About Race Like We Talk About Religion?”, in bigthink.com, retrieved 02 Jul 2015:

Forms

Synonyms

wave the white flag (yield, give up, surrender) · throw in the sponge (yield, give up, surrender) · throw up the sponge (yield, give up, surrender) · throw in the towel (yield, give up, surrender) · give in (yield, give up, surrender) · strike the tent (yield, give up, surrender)

Translations (1)

fr baisser pavillon (to take down one's flag to indicate surrender)