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

• banish
• boot (out)
• bounce
• cast out
• chase
• dismiss
• drum (out)
• eject
• expel
• extrude
• kick out
• oust
• out
• rout
• run off
• turf (out) [chiefly British]
• 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

Webber will throw out the ceremonial first pitch when the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats play the El Paso Chihuahuas on Saturday at Sutter Health Park. —Jason Anderson, Sacramento Bee, 13 Apr. 2024

Netflix filed a motion to throw out the lawsuit in November, arguing that while the film was inspired, in part, by Mestre’s story, it was not meant to be a literal account of her death. —Gene Maddaus, Variety, 12 Apr. 2024

First, throw out any of your — and your husband’s — expectations. —Haben Kelati, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2024

The dramatic scenes also point to a new approach to crime in the region and underline how the youngest leader in Latin America, Ecuadorean President Daniel Noboa, may be throwing out conventional wisdom – to the likely chagrin of his septuagenarian Mexican counterpart Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. —Stefano Pozzebon, CNN, 10 Apr. 2024

Because most eclipse glasses are made out of cardboard, the arms of the glasses can be recycled so long as the lenses are thrown out, according to the University of Rochester. —Solcyré Burga, TIME, 8 Apr. 2024

In 1883, in a blockbuster decision, the Supreme Court had thrown out that earlier act as unconstitutional. —Louis Menand, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024

It probably got reused, torn up, thrown out, who knows? —Simon Perry, Peoplemag, 4 Apr. 2024

A couple of students threw out suggestions: no running around the room, no interrupting, no blaming others, nobody is better than anybody else. —Ariel Gilreath, USA TODAY, 2 Apr. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

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

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