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

The Illinois Wesleyan recruit threw down a massive dunk to send the home crowd into a frenzy and cap the win. —Paul Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 7 Feb. 2026

Let’s bust out the red ink and throw down some grades on this deal. —Zach Harper, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026

Both players threw down their gloves and their helmets and the bell rang. —Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 2 Feb. 2026

There was the lob from Marcus Smart that James threw down for a reverse dunk, again bringing fans and teammates out of their seats. —Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times, 31 Jan. 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