throe

noun

1
: pang, spasm
death throes
throes of childbirth
2
throes plural : a hard or painful struggle
the throes of revolutionary social changeM. D. Geismar

Examples of throe in a Sentence

collapsed in the throes of agony that third-world country is caught up in the throes of a democratic revolution
Recent Examples on the Web The makeover comes in the throes of autumn—always worthy inspiration for a change of shade—and ahead of her forthcoming album, which is slated to release in 2024. Calin Van Paris, Vogue, 12 Oct. 2023 The last time the country saw that figure or higher was during the throes of the pandemic. Ellen Francis, Washington Post, 13 Sep. 2023 With winter in its final throes, don’t miss out on the last few weeks of cold-weather birding across this stunning Bay State region. Jared Ranahan, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2024 States were also given additional federal funding for the last three years to provide continuous Medicaid coverage, ensuring no one lost health care amid the throes of COVID-19. Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 22 Dec. 2023 Disconnected from the world during the throes of the pandemic, Massey spent her days writing songs on the guitar and recording demos on her laptop. Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 8 Nov. 2023 In his speech, Putin likened the moment to the crisis that saw the Russian empire slide out World War I and into the full throes of the Bolshevik Revolution. Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 27 June 2023 Though the defective detective might say otherwise, considering the series goes darker than ever before, thrusting Adrian Monk (Tony Shalhoub) into the throes of suicidal ideation in Mr. Monk's Last Case, a new movie now streaming on Peacock. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 8 Dec. 2023 In the east, the chart shows the remnants of the Crusader strongholds and the final throes of the Byzantine Empire. Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'throe.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English thrawe, throwe, from Old English thrawu, thrēa threat, pang; akin to Old High German drawa threat

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of throe was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near throe

Cite this Entry

“Throe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/throe. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

throe

noun
1
: pang
death throes
throes of childbirth
2
plural : a hard or painful struggle
a state in the throes of revolution

Medical Definition

throe

noun
: pang, spasm
usually used in plural
death throes
throes of childbirth

More from Merriam-Webster on throe

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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