throw out

verb

threw out; thrown out; throwing out; throws out

transitive verb

1

a

: to remove from a place, office, or employment usually in a sudden or unexpected manner

b

: to get rid of as worthless or unnecessary

2

: to give expression to : utter

threw out a remark … that utterly confounded him

—Jean Stafford

3

: to dismiss from acceptance or consideration : reject

the testimony was thrown out

4

: to make visible or manifest : display

the signal was thrown out for the … fleet to prepare for action

—Archibald Duncan

5

: to leave behind : outdistance

6

: to give forth from within : emit

7

a

: to send out

b

: to cause to project : extend

8

: confuse, disconcert

automobiles in line blocking the road … threw the whole schedule out

—F. D. Roosevelt

9

: to cause to stand out : make prominent

10

: to make a throw that enables a teammate to put out (a base runner)

Phrases

throw out the baby with the bathwater

: to discard or lose something useful or beneficial in the process of discarding or rejecting something unwanted

Synonyms

• out
• chase
• eject
• dismiss
• cast out
• kick out
• banish
• run off
• turn out

Examples of throw out in a Sentence

the player was thrown out of the game after assaulting the ref

would you mind if I threw out that leftover pizza that's been in the fridge for two weeks?

Recent Examples on the Web

Still, Wells thought there were two outs and that the inning was over when Grisham was thrown out. —Brendan Kuty, New York Times, 31 July 2025

Police chief confident no criminal cases were compromised At least two people, citing the issues within the Tempe forensics unit, asked a judge to throw out evidence in their criminal cases. —Elena Santa Cruz, AZCentral.com, 31 July 2025

Follow these instructions for the best way to wash, dry, and store your berries: Go through berries and throw out any that are already overripe or moldy. —Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 28 July 2025

If the lawsuit doesn’t get thrown out, then Trump and others involved with the case may also be deposed, and legal experts have warned that the fact-finding phase of the lawsuit could backfire on Trump by revealing information about his relationship with Epstein. —Alison Durkee, Forbes.com, 28 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for throw out

• about
• bailout
• blackout
• blowout
• breakout
• burnout
• buyout
• checkout
• closeout
• cutout
• devout
• dropout

Kids Definition

throw out

verb

1

: to reject or get rid of as worthless or unnecessary : throw away

2

: to remove from a place, position, or participation