throw off
verb
threw off; thrown off; throwing off; throws off
1
3
: to produce in an offhand manner : execute with speed or facility
… some little … tune that the composer had thrown off …—
James Hilton
James Hilton4
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
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
Extreme cold, deep snow, and chemicals on the roads and sidewalks can throw off your pets' normal routine and put them at risk.
—Jessica Riley, CBS News, 25 Jan. 2026
The reason investing experts recommend keeping gold as a small portion of a diversified portfolio is that unlike other assets, such as stocks and bonds, gold doesn’t generate profits or throw off cash.
—Ryan Ermey, CNBC, 23 Jan. 2026
The group typically doesn’t send a lot of extra rushers, preferring to rely on four-man pressures with twists and stunts to throw off offensive lines.
—Adam Grosbard, Oc Register, 21 Jan. 2026
The most pronounced effect of a minor storm is on migratory animals, which use the Earth’s magnetic fields as an internal GPS and can be thrown off track when the solar magnetism hits.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for throw off
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Jessica Riley, CBS News, 25 Jan. 2026
The reason investing experts recommend keeping gold as a small portion of a diversified portfolio is that unlike other assets, such as stocks and bonds, gold doesn’t generate profits or throw off cash.
—Ryan Ermey, CNBC, 23 Jan. 2026
The group typically doesn’t send a lot of extra rushers, preferring to rely on four-man pressures with twists and stunts to throw off offensive lines.
—Adam Grosbard, Oc Register, 21 Jan. 2026
The most pronounced effect of a minor storm is on migratory animals, which use the Earth’s magnetic fields as an internal GPS and can be thrown off track when the solar magnetism hits.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for throw off
Cite this Entry
“Throw off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/throw%20off. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
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