cut one's losses

cut one's losses (third-person singular simple present cuts one's losses, present participle cutting one's losses, simple past and past participle cut one's losses)

1. to discontinue something to put a stop to continued losses after facing that is unlikely it will ever bear fruit
   • 2007, Catherine Weber, A Woman's Guide to Overcoming Depression, Baker Books, →ISBN, page 47:

     But our culture has reinforced the belief that a good marriage just happens, and if it doesn't, you should simply cut your losses and move on to the next partner. After all, that's what we see in the movies.

   • 2011, Ann C. Logue, Day Trading For Dummies, John Wiley & Sons, →ISBN, page 43:

     I mentioned already in this chapter that you need to cut your losses before they drag you down. No matter how much it hurts and no matter how much you believe that you are right, you need to close out a losing position and move on.

   • 2017, Meera Lester, Rituals for Life: Find Meaning in Your Everyday Moments, Simon and Schuster, →ISBN, page 174:

     Sometimes when things are not going as you expected, it's better to cut your losses and move on than to hang on and deal with the stress, financial drain, emotional drag, and loss of time.

• sunk cost on Wikipedia.Wikipedia