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

Frozen bananas release too much liquid as they thaw and will throw off the moisture balance here. —Maggie Meyer Glisan, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 May 2026

Your schedule, routines or work environment could feel especially chaotic today, with interruptions throwing off your modus operandi and usual sense of control. —Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 22 May 2026

He’s thrown off, however, when Nora loses her cool at the discovery that their young, feisty daughter Ida (Tawba El Gharchi) has posted a video on social media of the trio dancing in the livestock stable. —Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 22 May 2026

Becca is obviously very confused, and thrown off by the course of the past 24 hours. —Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 22 May 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