throw off

verb

threw off; thrown off; throwing off; throws off

transitive verb

1
a
: to free oneself from : get rid of
threw off his inhibitions
b
: to cast off often in a hurried or vigorous manner : abandon
threw off all restraint
c
: distract, divert
dogs thrown off by a false scent
2
: emit, give off
stacks throwing off plumes of smoke
3
: to produce in an offhand manner : execute with speed or facility
some little … tune that the composer had thrown offJames Hilton
4
a
: to cause to depart from an expected or desired course
mistakes threw his calculations off a bit
b
: to cause to make a mistake : mislead
5
: earn, generate
an investment that throws off a sizable income

intransitive verb

1
: to begin hunting
2
: to make derogatory comments

Examples of throw off in a Sentence

the sudden noise just threw me off completely, and I missed my shot
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Mayfield admired the chess match Warner played last game with Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, whose visual cues tried to throw off Warner’s tracking sense. Cam Inman, Mercury News, 11 Oct. 2025 The next step for Horton, who’s recovering from a fractured right rib, will be throwing off a mound on Tuesday at Wrigley Field. Andy McCullough, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025 Later, she’s thrown off school grounds for stealing office supplies and sports equipment. Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2025 Neuroscientists are only scratching the surface of what happens when the networks are thrown off balance, but the work could lead to more treatments to fix them, Cembrowski said. Yasemin Saplakoglu, Quanta Magazine, 29 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for throw off

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1b

Time Traveler
The first known use of throw off was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Throw off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/throw%20off. Accessed 16 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

throw off

verb
: to send out : emit
a sparkler throws off sparks

More from Merriam-Webster on throw off

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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