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

Staff say the theft forced them to reshuffle routes, delay pickups and scramble to notify parents – throwing off entire school days. —Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 28 Mar. 2026

In addition to the nausea and vomiting, scientists speculate appetite loss is also due to systemic stress that throws off the hormones that regulate hunger. —Brad Stulberg, Outside, 26 Mar. 2026

Musgrove will have to progress to throwing off a mound to bullpens to live batting practice to likely minor league rehab games before the Padres can think about activating him. —Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Mar. 2026

The most viral videos feature fruits in absurd situations, ranging from scandalous affairs with other fruits to baby fruits thrown off a ship (yes, really). —Saba Hamedy, NBC news, 24 Mar. 2026

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