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 off …

—James 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

Synonyms of throw off

• distract
• divert

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

That threw off about $60 million over the past two years for infrastructure improvements. —Patricia Gallagher Newberry, Cincinnati Enquirer, 14 Nov. 2025

However, if there is a setback Brewer’s absence from Sunday’s game could throw off the Dolphins offense. —Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 13 Nov. 2025

Now, al-Sharaa, who has thrown off his nom de guerre Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, made history as the first Syrian president to visit the White House. —Chantal Da Silva, NBC news, 10 Nov. 2025

Stiff ankles can throw off your entire body’s mechanics. —Dana Santas, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

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

Rhymes for throw off

• ashraf
• checkoff
• cutoff
• falloff
• handoff
• kickoff
• layoff
• liftoff
• markoff
• markov
• payoff
• playoff

Kids Definition

throw off

verb

: to send out : emit

a sparkler throws off sparks