throw off

verb

threw off; thrown off; throwing off; throws off

Definition of throw off

1a : 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

4a : 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 More Example Sentences Learn More about throw off

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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

Radiocarbon dating, for example, can only be performed on objects younger than 62,000 years old, only results in date ranges, and can be thrown off when objects come into contact with younger organic material. — Erin Blakemore, National Geographic, "How archaeologists determine the date of ancient sites and artifacts," 28 June 2019 On one side of the room, an attractive naked couple is embracing, and, on the other side, a young woman throws off her clothes as if to join them. — Matthew Klam, The New Yorker, "The Weird, Violent, Uplifting Paintings of Mark Greenwold," 26 June 2019 Summer activities have the tendency to throw off your usually banal schedule in the best way. — Cory Stieg, refinery29.com, "Why It's Normal To Feel Less Hungry In The Summer," 13 June 2019 Lister was ahead of her time, but not in the obvious way: not because of her desire, or even her willingness to throw off norms. — Jeanna Kadlec, Longreads, "The 19th Century Lesbian Made for 21st Century Consumption," 7 June 2019 There's no date for Severino to throw off the mound. — Ian Harrison, courant.com, "Galvis, Grichuk HR as Jays end 6-game skid, beat Yankees 4-3," 5 June 2019 Both characters, played by Tom Wlaschiha and Faye Marsay respectively, haven't appeared on GoT since Arya Stark's grand exit from Braavos in Season 6, but that made them the perfect pawns to throw off spoiler hunters and possible paparazzi. — Erica Gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, "Jaqen H'ghar and The Waif Filmed a Fake Game of Thrones Finale Scene," 28 May 2019 But this, of course, was a ruse to throw off the competition, and anyone could clearly see that a derrick rose high above the arches that were now under construction. — Jonathan Schifman, Popular Mechanics, "A Friendship Turned to Rivalry. A Feud That Changed the New York Skyline.," 27 Mar. 2019 Campbell, by contrast, seems to view its main soup brand as a declining cash cow, useful mainly for throwing off money to invest in other areas like snacks. — Aaron Back, WSJ, "Campbell Investors Should Vote for Change," 15 Nov. 2018

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