Give it a Go! Expressions for Starting and Stopping Activities [Updated]

From new hobbies to daily routines, we are always starting and stopping different kinds of activities. But do you always have to say "start" or "stop" when talking about it? 

In English, there are lots of ways you can discuss these situations. Let’s dive in and learn some new expressions to add to your vocabulary!

Starting or Trying Activities

Dive in

"Diving into" an activity includes the nuance of starting it with a lot of enthusiasm.

• He recently became a fan of fantasy novels, so he's diving into some older series he's never read before.

If you want to add extra emphasis to this expression, you can say "dive in head first."

• My kids went on their first camping trip last weekend, and they dove in head first. They can't wait to do it again!

Give something a go

When you want to express that you are starting an activity as a test to see if you'll like it, you can use this expression.

• I’ve never tried surfing, so I decided to give it a go last weekend.

You can replace “go” with “try” or “whirl” without changing the meaning. "Whirl" sounds more casual than the other choices.

• Let’s give the restaurant’s daily special a try; we might like it.
• I convinced Kat to give rock climbing a whirl because I think she’ll enjoy it.

Take a punt (at)

This is an informal British English phrase for trying something new or unfamiliar.

• Zach took a punt at playing darts with us. He's not bad!
• Joan was unsure about investing in the company, but she decided to take a punt and buy some shares.

Related article: Should You Learn British English or American English?

Take a crack at

When you “take a crack” at something, you are trying it or attempting to do it.

• When Kyle took a crack at stand-up comedy, no one expected him to be so good!

You might also hear people say “have a crack” at something, which means the same thing.

• I had a crack at cooking, but I didn’t enjoy it very much.

Pick up

You can pick up an object, but did you know that you can also “pick up” a new activity if you do regularly?

• I picked up fishing last summer. Now it's my favorite hobby!

Stopping Activities

We don’t always continue doing the things we try. Luckily, there are many ways to talk about this as well.

Quit

"Quit" has a strong nuance; the person has made a decision to stop and they are confident in it.

• After dealing with a mean boss and unfriendly coworkers, Sam decided to quit his job and find a new one.

Give up

"Giving up" often includes the nuance that someone is tired or stressed. In other cases, the person simply does not want to do it anymore. 

• I gave up on the book after the third chapter. It just wasn’t very interesting to me.
• Don’t give up! Keep going a little more!

Drop

We explained earlier that you can "pick up" new hobbies. The opposite is also true: putting an activity down, or "dropping" it, means stopping. This is often used when stopping an activity quickly or suddenly.

• Johnny dropped his guitar lessons and started playing the drums instead.
• Everyone, drop what you're working on. This new project is our priority now.

Throw in the towel

In a boxing match, a coach will throw his or her towel into the ring to signal that their boxer cannot continue fighting. But even in general conversations, “throw in the towel” is another way to say “quit.”

• Carl thought the diet was too difficult, so he threw in the towel after a few weeks.

Bounce off of

To “bounce off of” something means to stop after having a negative reaction. This expression is common among people who play video games.

• The game got good reviews, but I bounced off of it pretty quickly; I didn't think it was fun at all!

'Nope' out of something

You may already know that “nope” is a very informal way of saying “no.” So when you “nope out” of something, you are strongly refusing or rejecting it.

This expression is very casual, so use it only in the appropriate situations.

• We noped out of the festival when we saw how expensive the tickets were.
• Seth noped out of the movie during the very first scene; he hates horror films!

Related article: "No way, José!" Other Ways to Say "No"

Fall off of

If you gradually stopped doing something over time, you can say that you “fell off” of it. 

This expression is useful if you stop an activity because it simply didn't hold your attention, not because you disliked it.

• I really wanted to finish the novel, but I fell off of it a few chapters from the end.
• We used to jog every morning, but we fell off of it when the weather got too hot.

Pack it in

"Packing it in” describes stopping temporarily instead of quitting completely.

• We decided to pack it in and get dinner at a nearby restaurant.

Call it a day

This expression has the same meaning as "pack it in." You “call it a day” when you stop working. Think of it as “calling a work day complete.”

• We can’t call it a day until this room is completely clean. Let’s keep going.

Abandon

“Abandon” is a verb that means “to leave a person or thing with no plan to return.” When talking about activities, it includes a strong nuance that the person will not do the activity again.

• We decided to abandon the idea; the results wouldn't be worth the time and energy needed.

Let’s Call it a Day!

Starting a project is much easier than completing one, which is probably why there are many more expressions for stopping!

No matter which of the two you are doing, however, your conversations will be much more interesting if you use these phrases when discussing it.

By the way, if you're taking a crack at learning English and would like some help, Engoo has thousands of great tutors who can help you 24 hours a day. So don't throw in the towel; keep going!

• idioms
• other ways to say
• Vocabulary