throw down

verb

threw down; thrown down; throwing down; throws down

transitive verb

1

: to cause to fall : overthrow

2

: precipitate

3

: to cast off : discard

4

: to make (a slam dunk) with exceptional force

Synonyms of throw down

• throw
• drop

Examples of throw down in a Sentence

throw down the gun, and put your hands up

Recent Examples on the Web

Johan Munch threw down a dunk to give Oregon State a 78-75 lead before Adrian McIntyre hit a straight-away 3 pointer just before the buzzer that forced overtime. —ABC News, 26 Feb. 2026

Melton scored a season-high 28 points and threw down a shocking poster dunk in the second half, while Moses Moody continued to shoot well and scored 24. —Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 25 Feb. 2026

In the title race, Manchester City threw down the gauntlet to leaders Arsenal with a 2-1 home win over Newcastle United, temporarily moving to within two points of the summit. —Mark Carey, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2026

Saturday afternoon, a fan in search of an autograph threw down their wallet from the bleachers. —Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 21 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for throw down

• adown
• blowdown
• breakdown
• countdown
• crackdown
• crosstown
• downtown
• drawdown
• dropdown
• facedown
• godown
• hometown