06/10/2026
Why do we say, "Roll with the punches"?
This phrase comes, as you probably guessed, from boxing. In the early 1900s, fighters were trained to move with a punch, turning slightly in its direction to reduce impact. One of the earliest recorded uses appears in a 1903 Boston Daily Globe report describing a boxer who “allowed his head to roll with the punches and was not hurt.” This phrase now means adapting to challenges instead of resisting them.
Sources: Merriam-Webster, Boston Daily Globe, and etymonline.
ID: A sea blue background shows yellow text saying, "WHY DO WE SAY THIS?" Below that is a photo of a woman wearing boxing gloves, her arm raised in defiance. Below that in a brown box is white text: "ROLL WITH THE PUNCHES." Below that, "HINT: IT STARTED IN THE BOXING RING." At bottom is the TSW logo.