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

Elly De La Cruz singled leading off the fourth against Braxton Ashcraft (0-1) for the Reds but was thrown out trying to steal second. —CBS News, 31 Mar. 2026

The Jefferson County Clerk's Office has asked a federal judge to throw out a lawsuit that seeks to compel the release of Kentucky's unredacted voter rolls to the federal government, the office announced in a March 31 news release. —Killian Baarlaer, Louisville Courier Journal, 31 Mar. 2026

Impulsively, Chalker threw out Bernadine’s real name and asked if Naraghi knew him. —David D. Kirkpatrick, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026

Juan Soto singled home the tying run in the fifth inning on Sunday and doubled home a run in the bottom of the 10th, but Francisco Lindor was thrown out trying to score from first base with no one out, and the Pittsburgh Pirates salvaged a win in the three-game series by taking a 4-3 decision. —Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 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