throw up

verb

threw up; thrown up; throwing up; throws up

intransitive verb

: vomit

transitive verb

1

: vomit

2

: to raise quickly

3

: to build hurriedly

new houses thrown up almost overnight

4

: give up, quit

the urge … to throw up all intellectual work

—Norman Mailer

5

: to bring forth : produce

6

: to make distinct especially by contrast : cause to stand out

7

: to mention repeatedly by way of reproach

Phrases

throw up one's hands

: to admit defeat

in the end throws up his hands in despair

—Frank Conroy

Synonyms

• barf
• gag
• heave
• hurl
• puke
• retch
• spew
• spit up
• upchuck
• vomit

Examples of throw up in a Sentence

she must have eaten something that didn't agree with her because she threw up right after dinner

when the townspeople realized that the President's motorcade would be coming through on its way to the conference, they threw up a hasty “Welcome” sign

Recent Examples on the Web

Others have preemptively thrown up walls, including Western Colorado’s Mesa County several weeks ago. —Karin Brulliard, Washington Post, 22 Mar. 2024

For pretty much all of my life, a 10-minute jog or even a quick sprint left me on the verge of throwing up. —Jenna Ryu, SELF, 22 Mar. 2024

After Gohlke wriggled away for an off-balance rainmaker, Kentucky’s coach, John Calipari, threw up his arms in exasperation. —Billy Witz, New York Times, 22 Mar. 2024

Otto simply threw up a three with her hands, smiling slightly on her way back down the floor. —Luca Evans, Orange County Register, 18 Mar. 2024

Steinfeld, 27, put on a show by throwing up her butterfly sleeves for the cameras. —Michelle Lee, Peoplemag, 10 Mar. 2024

Harleigh Havard throws up a miracle to send Huntington to overtime against Shallowater in the girls 3A state title game!!! —Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Mar. 2024

But a single senator can throw up procedural roadblocks that push the government past the deadline and force a vote days later. —Jacob Bogage, Washington Post, 22 Mar. 2024

One image shows nearby cars covered in soil thrown up by the impact. —Andrew Carey, Victoria Butenko and Yulia Kesaieva, CNN, 21 Mar. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2

Kids Definition

throw up

verb

1

: to build or raise hurriedly or quickly

threw up the window

2

: to give up : quit

just wanted to throw the whole thing up

3

: vomit entry 2 sense 1

Medical Definition

throw up

intransitive verb

ˌthrō-ˈəp 

: vomit