throwaway

adjective throw·away \ ˈthrō-ə-ˌwā \

|Updated on: 11 Aug 2018

Examples: throwaway in a Sentence

Definition of throwaway

1 : designed to be thrown away : disposable

throwaway containers

2 : written or spoken (as in a play) in a low-key or unemphatic manner

throwaway lines

3 : nonchalant, casual

4 : marked by a tendency to discard things : overly wasteful

a throwaway society

See throwaway defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of throwaway from the Web

And here is yet again a tableau featuring nonwhite characters — Chinese workers who’ve come to the U.S. to help build the transcontinental railroad — that the show reduces to either set dressing or a throwaway moment of shock and horror.

— william lee, chicagotribune.com, "‘Westworld’ Episode 4 recap: 5 things to know about ‘The Riddle of the Sphinx’," 14 May 2018
Fluff like this is a, well, inspired choice – the theatrical equivalent of a throwaway beach novel.

— matthew j. palm, OrlandoSentinel.com, "'Xanadu' glitters with goofiness at the Garden," 7 July 2018
But the Heat, right or wrong, also have shown a belief that James Johnson, Dion Waiters and others signed in the interim are more than throwaway additions.

— ira winderman, Sun-Sentinel.com, "ASK IRA: Are the Heat planning to go with all-guard lineups?," 2 July 2018
The ban has already caused the EU to consider a tax on throwaway plastics.

— ellen airhart, WIRED, "China Won’t Solve the World’s Plastics Problem Any More," 20 June 2018
A few days after the party, those plastic yo-yos and other throwaway toys start to look like junk.

— allyson shaw, National Geographic, "Reducing Plastic as a Family Is Easy. Here's How.," 4 June 2018
That way, companies signal that diversity is not a throwaway issue, but a core part of their mission going forward.

— chicagotribune.com, "Why one-day diversity training like Starbucks did is not enough," 1 June 2018
Obviously, Arcade and Domino’s eternal enmity for each other was more of a throwaway line in the second story of an Annual that very few people remember.

— chris sims, The Verge, "Domino deserves a spinoff film, and there are amazing comic stories to mine," 24 May 2018
That’s my takeaway from the recent controversy that began with a throwaway line from a recent interview the country superstar did with the Guardian.

— michael smerconish, Philly.com, "Shania Twain apologized for her Trump comments; that don't impress me much | Michael Smerconish," 25 Apr. 2018

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

First Known Use of throwaway

1928

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

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throwaway

noun

Definition of throwaway

1 : one that is or is designed to be thrown away: such as

a : a free handbill or circular

b : a line of dialogue (as in a play) de-emphasized by casual delivery; especially : a joke or witticism delivered casually

2 : something made or done without care or interest

3 : a child who has been forced to leave home or who has run away from indifferent or hostile parents

See throwaway defined for kids

Recent Examples of throwaway from the Web

Grenier has been working on educating the public about the problems with plastic straws and other throwaway items through his Lonely Whale foundation.

— National Geographic, "Actor Adrian Grenier Is Cutting Out Plastic. Here's How You Can, Too.," 5 June 2018
That's six shots taken in 19 drafts, post-Marino: Two late-round throwaways, three consecutive wasted second-round picks, and the first-round Tannehill gamble.

— greg cote, miamiherald, "Dolphins have fallen to last in AFC East by the one gauge that should concern fans most | Miami Herald," 30 Apr. 2018
And there’s always the throwaways: twelve of the thirteen Laurens, any woman of color not highlighted on night one, the woman who owns a spray tan company.

— justin kirkland, USA TODAY, "'Bachelor' premiere recap: Chelsea wastes no time becoming the season's villain," 1 Jan. 2018
There have been episodes where the only mention of him is a throwaway sentence to explain his absence.

— refinery29.com, "5 Things To Keep In Mind While Watching The Americans Tonight," 30 May 2018
This was no small detail or throwaway comment hidden away somewhere in paragraphs of text about what the accomplished former Monaco man will bring to Anfield.

— SI.com, "Why Liverpool Did Not 'Beat' Man Utd to Summer Capture of £39m Midfielder Fabinho," 30 May 2018
As for the story, the United States doesn’t figure at all, except for one throwaway line that answers an obvious question and sums up a worldview.

— mike hale, New York Times, "Review: With ‘False Flag,’ Israel Exports Another Fine Thriller," 11 Jan. 2018
There was also a throwaway match from Braun Strowman, whose spot on the card gained no momentum after winning the 50-man Greatest Royal Rumble on April 27.

— justin barrasso, SI.com, "Five Biggest Takeaways From WWE's Backlash," 7 May 2018
Berkeley leaders hope to reduce the load of throwaway food containers — even the recyclable ones — by changing consumer behavior.

— kimberly veklerov, San Francisco Chronicle, "Berkeley may slap charge on disposable food containers," 25 Apr. 2018

First Known Use of throwaway

1903

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

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throw away

verb

Definition of throw away

transitive verb

1 a : to get rid of as worthless or unnecessary

b : discard 2b

2 a : to use in a foolish or wasteful manner : squander

b : to fail to take advantage of : waste

throw away an opportunity

3 : to make (something, such as a line in a play) unemphatic by casual delivery

See throw away defined for kids

Examples of throw away in a Sentence

I should throw away that torn shirt.
if you buy a high-end computer, you'll just be throwing away money on a bunch of features you'll never use

First Known Use of throw away

1530

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

throw away Synonyms

Phrases

play ducks and drakes with (or make ducks and drakes of);

THROWAWAY Defined for English Language Learners

throwaway

adjective

Definition of throwaway for English Language Learners

: made to be thrown away after use
: made or said with very little thought
: tending to throw things away instead of keeping them and using them again : very wasteful