throw shade
idiomatic phrase
informal
: to publicly express contempt or disrespect for someone or something especially in an indirect or subtle way : criticize
… answered a question to the media that seemed to throw shade at his former teammate …—
Farbod Esnaashari
Farbod Esnaashari… was accused of throwing shade at the singer in a now-deleted TikTok [video].—Leyla Mohammed
Leyla MohammedWhen the vendor typed "excuse me," my friend assumed the vendor was throwing major shade his way …—Jennifer Silverman
Jennifer Silverman… haters took to the comment section and threw major shade at the star …—Julia Teti
Julia TetiExamples of throw shade in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
To their credit, neither Caufield nor Hutson threw shade at Guerin or his staff.
—Michael Russo, New York Times, 21 Jan. 2026
Chris Noth is trying to downplay all the buzz over him throwing shade at his former costar Sarah Jessica Parker.
—Sydney Bucksbaum, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Jan. 2026
In a December 2025 TikTok post from user Titofortheworld, shoppers threw shade at H-E-B for its lack of Mi Tienda locations across Texas despite its popularity in the Houston area.
—Rhyma Castillo, San Antonio Express-News, 12 Jan. 2026
During the podcast’s segment, McCoy was defending Hurts despite playing one of his worst games of his career on Monday night, while also not throwing shade at head coach Nick Sirianni.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 10 Dec. 2025
Bitter's post went viral on social media, and Franklin responded to a question about throwing shade at his former employer by offering up a sweet treat at the ceremony.
—Jordan Sigler, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2025
Not to throw shade, but Aries can be self-important, similarly to how Collins deals with his relationship to others.
—Lisa Stardust, PEOPLE, 22 Nov. 2025
The longtime manager’s post comes months after Wendy’s threw shade at Perry on social media.
—Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 8 Nov. 2025
Many fans expressed their excitement, while others did what the internet does best and threw shade.
—Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 24 Sep. 2025
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.
Michael Russo, New York Times, 21 Jan. 2026
Chris Noth is trying to downplay all the buzz over him throwing shade at his former costar Sarah Jessica Parker.
—Sydney Bucksbaum, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Jan. 2026
In a December 2025 TikTok post from user Titofortheworld, shoppers threw shade at H-E-B for its lack of Mi Tienda locations across Texas despite its popularity in the Houston area.
—Rhyma Castillo, San Antonio Express-News, 12 Jan. 2026
During the podcast’s segment, McCoy was defending Hurts despite playing one of his worst games of his career on Monday night, while also not throwing shade at head coach Nick Sirianni.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 10 Dec. 2025
Bitter's post went viral on social media, and Franklin responded to a question about throwing shade at his former employer by offering up a sweet treat at the ceremony.
—Jordan Sigler, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2025
Not to throw shade, but Aries can be self-important, similarly to how Collins deals with his relationship to others.
—Lisa Stardust, PEOPLE, 22 Nov. 2025
The longtime manager’s post comes months after Wendy’s threw shade at Perry on social media.
—Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 8 Nov. 2025
Many fans expressed their excitement, while others did what the internet does best and threw shade.
—Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 24 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Throw shade.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/throw%20shade. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
