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.

—Franklin 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)

see also:

throw out the baby with the bathwater

Synonyms of throw out

• out
• chase
• eject
• dismiss
• cast out
• kick out
• banish
• run off
• 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

So throw out any conclusions about UCLA’s offense preceding this modification. —Aaron Heisen, Daily News, 24 Feb. 2026

The Supreme Court has, as of last week, thrown out his sweeping international tariffs, the main pillar of his economic program. —Susan B. Glasser, New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2026

Wilyer Abreu nearly went back-to-back with Contreras, but his line drive stayed in the yard and the Red Sox outfielder wound up being thrown out at second because he was thought the ball was gone and didn’t run hard out of the box. —Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 24 Feb. 2026

Pakistani families were fleeing the United States, asking Canada for asylum because some of the men registering with the federal government were being detained for weeks or months and were even being thrown out of the country. —Literary Hub, 24 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for throw out

• about
• bailout
• blackout
• blowout
• breakout
• burnout
• buyout
• checkout
• closeout
• cutout
• devout
• dropout

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