to throw one's hat over the wall

9.9

To decide to start something difficult and not change your mind

idiom

: tirar el sombrero sobre la pared

After months of indecision, he finally decided to throw his hat over the wall and start his own business.

Examples

When she enrolled in the marathon, she really threw her hat over the wall without hesitation.
After years of working at the company, she finally threw her hat over the wall.
Sometimes you just need to throw your hat over the wall to move forward in life.
Don't throw your hat over the wall!
After months of indecision, he finally decided to throw his hat over the wall and start his own business.
To truly succeed, sometimes you must throw your hat over the wall and take risks.
By quitting his job to travel the world, he really threw his hat over the wall into a new adventure.

Synonyms

to double down

vsto throw one's hat over the wall

Informal

53 6.5

To try harder to continue something even when people disagree or it is risky

is an initial decisive irreversible choice rather than a later intensification of commitment

to go all in

vsto throw one's hat over the wall

Informal

15 5.2

Put all your time, money, and effort into one plan

is a decisive irreversible pledge rather than simply total involvement

to cross the Rubicon

vsto throw one's hat over the wall

Informal

2 8.5

To take a decisive action that you cannot change later

is about personally committing to a course rather than just the act

to throw one's cap over the windmill

vsto throw one's hat over the wall

Archaic

9.9

To make a big decision you cannot change that may be risky

focuses on irrevocable commitment rather than emphasising risk or daring

to throw one's hat over the fence

vsto throw one's hat over the wall

Informal

9.4

To decide to do something difficult and not stop

is about making a decisive irreversible move rather than showing continued resolve

Antonyms

to back down

107 3.7

To stop insisting because others oppose you

to play it safe

42 3.4

Choose a careful option to avoid risks

How Committed

to burn that bridge

Informal

1 7.7

to throw one's hat over the wall

9.9

pledge

206 3.7

to decide

∞ 1.0

to consider

∞ 1.1

Surface Forms

throw one's hat over the wall infinitive

throwing one's hat over the wall present participle

throws one's hat over the wall third person singular

threw one's hat over the wall past

thrown one's hat over the wall past participle

Morphology

throw + one's + hat + over + the + wall

The literal image of throwing a hat over a wall suggests a decisive, irreversible action (crossing a barrier and losing the hat), so there is a clear metaphorical link between the parts and the idea of commitment. However, the specific conventionalized meaning 'to commit oneself to a course of action or challenge' is language- and culture-specific and not fully predictable from the constituents, so a B1 learner who knows the words but hasn't seen the idiom would probably not reliably infer the intended sense.

Etymology

Throw one's hat over the wall comes from a clear image: a person literally throws their hat over a wall to show they will go into a new place or take a risk and cannot easily take it back. So the phrase now means 'to commit oneself' to a bold, often irreversible action.