throw up

verb

threw up; thrown up; throwing up; throws up

intransitive verb

: vomit

transitive verb

1

: vomit

2

: to raise quickly

3

: to build hurriedly

new houses thrown up almost overnight

4

: give up, quit

… the urge … to throw up all intellectual work …

—Norman Mailer

5

: to bring forth : produce

6

: to make distinct especially by contrast : cause to stand out

7

: to mention repeatedly by way of reproach

see also:

throw up one's hands

Synonyms of throw up

• vomit
• hurl

Examples of throw up in a Sentence

she must have eaten something that didn't agree with her because she threw up right after dinner

when the townspeople realized that the President's motorcade would be coming through on its way to the conference, they threw up a hasty “Welcome” sign

Recent Examples on the Web

At one point, the new members crowded along the railing, throwing up peace signs, thumbs-ups and heart hands. — Avery Stone, HollywoodReporter, 23 July 2026

After a couple of rounds of throwing up and an evaluation by the doctor, Coop is okay, but the whole thing puts a fright into the crew, and especially into Joy. — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 21 July 2026

Blanco threw up a peace sign while Gomez posed in front in a headscarf and sunglasses. — Chiara Kim, PEOPLE, 21 July 2026

Correlation does not imply causation, but World Cup years have tended to throw up memorable Tours de France in the 21st century. — Chris Marshall-Bell, New York Times, 19 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2

Rhymes for throw up

• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup
• markup

Kids Definition

throw up

verb

1

: to build or raise hurriedly or quickly

threw up the window

2

: to give up : quit

just wanted to throw the whole thing up

3

: vomit entry 2 sense 1

Medical Definition

throw up

intransitive verb

ˌthrō-ˈəp 

: vomit