throe

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noun \ ˈthrō \

Definition of throe

1 :pang, spasm

death throes

throes of childbirth

2 throes plural :a hard or painful struggle

the throes of revolutionary social change
—M. D. Geismar

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Examples of throe in a Sentence

collapsed in the throes of agony
that third-world country is caught up in the throes of a democratic revolution

Recent Examples of throe from the Web

There have been no official reports from the FAA about specific incidents, though relief agencies in the throes of helping people may immediately notify the aviation authority.

— alan levin, Bloomberg.com, "Private Drones Ordered to Stay Away From Harvey Rescue Efforts," 29 Aug. 2017
The uprising came at a particularly sensitive time, as Mexico was in the throes of globalization and its deepening relationship with the United States.

— paulina villegas, New York Times, "In a Mexico ‘Tired of Violence,’ Zapatista Rebels Venture Into Politics," 26 Aug. 2017
A doctor used a scalpel and a quill to take fluid from smallpox vesicles on the skin of a person in the throes of the disease.

— stephen coss, Smithsonian, "What Led Benjamin Franklin to Live Estranged From His Wife for Nearly Two Decades?," 24 Aug. 2017
Imagine being a young person in this community, who looks around and sees this devastation, people in the throes of addiction, people slumped over or high on the street.

— madhumita murgia, Washington Post, "Mapping out the causes of suicide in teenagers and children," 22 Aug. 2017
In fact, the Belgian army—pummeled relentlessly by German dive-bombers, tanks, and artillery for more than two weeks and running out of food and ammunition—was already in the throes of disintegration.

— Longreads, "Whose Fault Was Dunkirk?," 7 Aug. 2017
Female chimps are much less likely to form coalitions, and have even been spotted forcing themselves between a female rival and her mate in the throes of copulation.

— olga khazan, The Atlantic, "Why Do Women Bully Each Other at Work?," 2 Aug. 2017
During the hacking attempts on the investigators, the group was in the throes of a crisis.

— azam ahmed, Alaska Dispatch News, "Spyware sold to Mexican government targeted investigators of student disappearances," 10 July 2017
Baltimore has been in the throes of a crime surge for more than two years, and the homicide rate this year is again on track to break records.

— juliet linderman, The Seattle Times, "Baltimore homicide victim was police official’s brother," 5 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'throe.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of throe

Middle English thrawe, throwe, from Old English thrawu, thrēa threat, pang; akin to Old High German drawa threat

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First Known Use: 13th century

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throe Synonyms

Synonyms

ache, pang, prick, shoot, smart, sting, stitch, pain, tingle, twinge

Related Words

discomfort, distress, soreness, tenderness; affliction, agony, anguish, misery, sufferance, suffering, torment, torture; inflammation, sore, swelling; damage, detriment, harm, hurt, injury; backache, bellyache, charley horse, colic, complaint, earache, gripe, headache, stomachache, toothache

Near Antonyms

comfort, ease, easiness

Medical Dictionary

throe

play

noun \ ˈthrō \

medical Definition of throe

:pang, spasm —usually used in plural

death throes

throes of childbirth

Learn More about throe

See words that rhyme with throe Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for throe Spanish Central: Translation of throe Nglish: Translation of throe for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of throe for Arabic speakers

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throe

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throe

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