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

• 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

Comets generally throw off two types of tails; tails composed primarily of gas, and tails composed primarily of dust. —Joe Rao, Space.com, 8 Sep. 2025

Without it, in theory, the player might feel thrown off or less secure in their serve, which, in turn, could affect the trajectory of the point (and potentially the game, and then the set, and then the match, because in tennis, it all snowballs. —Caroline Tien, SELF, 5 Sep. 2025

Perhaps there’s something salutary about being thrown off-balance, the novel suggests. —Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2025

Comcast and all traditional media companies faced a choice amid cable’s inexorable decline as subscribers dwindle but the business still throws off cash. —Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2025

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