throw off

verb

threw off; thrown off; throwing off; throws off

transitive verb

1

a

: to free oneself from : get rid of

threw off his inhibitions

b

: to cast off often in a hurried or vigorous manner : abandon

threw off all restraint

c

: distract, divert

dogs thrown off by a false scent

2

: emit, give off

stacks throwing off plumes of smoke

3

: to produce in an offhand manner : execute with speed or facility

… some little … tune that the composer had thrown off …

—James Hilton

4

a

: to cause to depart from an expected or desired course

mistakes threw his calculations off a bit

b

: to cause to make a mistake : mislead

5

: earn, generate

an investment that throws off a sizable income

intransitive verb

1

: to begin hunting

2

: to make derogatory comments

Synonyms of throw off

• distract
• divert

Examples of throw off in a Sentence

the sudden noise just threw me off completely, and I missed my shot

Recent Examples on the Web

Tua Tagovailoa, held out of Wednesday’s practice because of a back injury flare-up, threw off to the side. — Daniel Flick, AJC.com, 30 July 2026

And climate shifts are yet another threat to milkweed’s viability in particular locales, throwing off the distances and timing that are so crucial to each butterfly’s travels. — Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 28 July 2026

Both riders, who were not wearing helmets, were thrown off their motorcycles, police shared. — Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 26 July 2026

But the storm, which increased to category 3 in strength on Sunday, is throwing off energy that will generate surf in Southern California. — Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1b

Rhymes for throw off

• ashraf
• checkoff
• cutoff
• falloff
• handoff
• kickoff
• layoff
• liftoff
• markoff
• markov
• payoff
• playoff

Kids Definition

throw off

verb

: to send out : emit

a sparkler throws off sparks