throw off
verb
threw off; thrown off; throwing off; throws off
1
3
: to produce in an offhand manner : execute with speed or facility
some little … tune that the composer had thrown off—
James Hilton
James Hilton4
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
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
The angle of just about five degrees is enough to throw off the alignment, so the new moon typically passes slightly above or slightly below the slice of light beamed from the sun onto Earth, rather than passing through it.
—Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2024
The desire to bring back a traditional Muslim way of life from before the French arrived—with the implications this held for the role of women or nonbelievers—became the animating force of the uprising and the essential purpose of throwing off colonialism.
—Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 28 Mar. 2024
After most of the Netherlands threw off Habsburg rule, in 1579, the Dutch formed a republic that capitalized on these changes.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2024
They may be thrown off or need time to process the emotional impact of being demeaned or dismissed.
—Heather V. MacArthur, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024
But the industrial revolution has thrown off so much wealth that there’s enough left over to solve those problems too without sacrificing the higher living standards that come with it.
—The Editors, National Review, 18 Mar. 2024
If this rhythm is thrown off, or the sleep-wake cycle changes a lot, the body is not going to have a great idea of when to have high-quality deep sleep, said Goldstein, who is also a professor of neurology at the University of Michigan Sleep Disorders Center in Ann Arbor.
—Taylor Nicioli, CNN, 12 Mar. 2024
If estrogen is too high, progesterone is too low, or cycles are irregular, this balance can be thrown off, resulting in symptoms like acne, PMS, premenstrual migraines, bloating, and mood issues.
—Nick Blackmer, Verywell Health, 11 Mar. 2024
Exposure to light plays a key part in circadian rhythms, which can be thrown off by darker mornings and lighter evenings created by the time change.
—USA TODAY, 9 Mar. 2024
Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2024
The desire to bring back a traditional Muslim way of life from before the French arrived—with the implications this held for the role of women or nonbelievers—became the animating force of the uprising and the essential purpose of throwing off colonialism.
—Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 28 Mar. 2024
After most of the Netherlands threw off Habsburg rule, in 1579, the Dutch formed a republic that capitalized on these changes.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2024
They may be thrown off or need time to process the emotional impact of being demeaned or dismissed.
—Heather V. MacArthur, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024
But the industrial revolution has thrown off so much wealth that there’s enough left over to solve those problems too without sacrificing the higher living standards that come with it.
—The Editors, National Review, 18 Mar. 2024
If this rhythm is thrown off, or the sleep-wake cycle changes a lot, the body is not going to have a great idea of when to have high-quality deep sleep, said Goldstein, who is also a professor of neurology at the University of Michigan Sleep Disorders Center in Ann Arbor.
—Taylor Nicioli, CNN, 12 Mar. 2024
If estrogen is too high, progesterone is too low, or cycles are irregular, this balance can be thrown off, resulting in symptoms like acne, PMS, premenstrual migraines, bloating, and mood issues.
—Nick Blackmer, Verywell Health, 11 Mar. 2024
Exposure to light plays a key part in circadian rhythms, which can be thrown off by darker mornings and lighter evenings created by the time change.
—USA TODAY, 9 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'throw off.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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
Dictionary Entries Near throw off
Cite this Entry
“Throw off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/throw%20off. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
throw off
verb
: to send out : emit
a sparkler throws off sparks
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