If you towel something or towel it dry, you dry it with a towel. James came out of his bedroom, toweling his wet hair I towelled myself dry He stepped out of the shower and began towelling himself down
If you throw in the towel, you stop trying to do something because you realize that you cannot succeed. It seemed as if the police had thrown in the towel and were abandoning the investigation. see also sanitary towel, tea towel. towel down/off towelled towelling toweled toweling to dry yourself using a towel