toss

1 of 2

verb

ˈtȯs How to pronounce toss (audio)
ˈtäs
tossed; tossing; tosses

transitive verb

1
a
: to throw with a quick, light, or careless motion or with a sudden jerk
toss a ball around
b
: to throw up in the air
tossed by a bull
d
: to send as if by throwing
tossed in jail
tossed out of the game
e
: to get rid of : throw away
2
a
: to fling or lift with a sudden motion
tosses her head angrily
b
: to tilt suddenly so as to empty by drinking
tossed his glass
also : to consume by drinking
toss down a drink
3
a
: to fling or heave continuously about, to and fro, or up and down
a ship tossed by waves
c
: to mix lightly until well coated with a dressing or until the elements are thoroughly combined
toss a salad
4
: to make uneasy : stir up : disturb
5
: to accomplish, provide, or produce readily or easily
toss off a few verses
6
: throw sense 5
toss a party
7
: vomit sense 1
often used in the phrase toss one's cookies

intransitive verb

1
a
: to move restlessly or turbulently
especially : to twist and turn repeatedly
tossed sleeplessly all night
b
: to move with a quick or spirited gesture
2
: to decide an issue by flipping a coin
tosser noun

toss

2 of 2

noun

1
: an act or instance of tossing: such as
a
b
: an abrupt tilting or upward fling
c
: a deciding by chance and especially by flipping a coin
2
: the state or fact of being tossed
Choose the Right Synonym for toss

throw, cast, toss, fling, hurl, pitch, sling mean to cause to move swiftly through space by a propulsive movement or a propelling force.

throw is general and interchangeable with the other terms but may specifically imply a distinctive motion with bent arm.

can throw a fastball and a curve

cast usually implies lightness in the thing thrown and sometimes a scattering.

cast it to the winds

toss suggests a light or careless or aimless throwing and may imply an upward motion.

tossed the coat on the bed

fling stresses a violent throwing.

flung the ring back in his face

hurl implies power as in throwing a massive weight.

hurled himself at the intruder

pitch suggests throwing carefully at a target.

pitch horseshoes

sling stresses either the use of whirling momentum in throwing or directness of aim.

slung the bag over his shoulder

Examples of toss in a Sentence

Verb She tossed the ball high in the air. She tossed the paper at the recycling bin. He tossed his dirty socks onto the floor. He tossed his head back. She tossed her hair and smiled. Waves tossed the ship about. The ship tossed on the waves. Noun They decided what to do by a coin toss. the toss of a coin She threw her hair back with a toss of her head.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Peterson appeared from Mule Creek state prison in a blue prison shirt nearly two decades after he was convicted of killing his pregnant wife, Laci, and tossing her body into San Francisco Bay on Christmas Eve 2002. Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2024 Stewart wore her shaggy hair tossed to the side and accessorized with dark rimless sunglasses, high patent leather heels, and a boxy handbag. Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 12 Mar. 2024 Other big names that have been tossed around include Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Regé-Jean Page and Henry Cavill, but so far nothing has been confirmed. Ellise Shafer, Variety, 8 Mar. 2024 The housemates then headed to the beach, where Carl and Danielle, 36, tossed around a football and caught up. Dana Rose Falcone, Peoplemag, 8 Mar. 2024 The boat ultimately capsized and everyone was tossed into the Hudson River, according to prosecutors. Julia Marnin, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2024 But McEntire was sure to toss her cowgirl hat into the ring for HaVon, lauding the 31-year-old’s vocal strength. USA TODAY, 5 Mar. 2024 No need to use your hands to toss everything together. Olga Massov, Washington Post, 4 Mar. 2024 True freshman Judd Anderson, who towered above the rest at 6-7, also tossed some passes. Susan Miller Degnan, Miami Herald, 4 Mar. 2024
Noun
The 49ers won the coin toss and chose to have first possession. Ben Morse, CNN, 13 Feb. 2024 After winning the coin toss, the 49ers chose to receive the ball, which made sense under the previous rules — a touchdown wins it — but not so much under the new ones. Scott Chasen, Kansas City Star, 12 Feb. 2024 If Kansas City had won the coin toss to start overtime and scored a touchdown, would the Chiefs' defense have held for a 7-point win? 3. Richard Morin, USA TODAY, 12 Feb. 2024 The Patriots won the coin toss to start overtime, and the Falcons offense never saw the field. Chuck Schilken, Los Angeles Times, 12 Feb. 2024 The 49ers won the coin toss and elected to receive the ball in overtime. Marlow Stern, Rolling Stone, 12 Feb. 2024 The Chiefs win the coin toss and defer to the second half. Curtis Pashelka, The Mercury News, 11 Feb. 2024 Key Facts Bettors can wager on the opening coin toss through DraftKings Sportsbook at +100 odds (meaning a $100 bet would result in a $100 profit), through FanDuel at -104 odds (meaning $104 must be wagered placed to profit $100), or through Caesars Sportsbook at -105 odds. Ty Roush, Forbes, 10 Feb. 2024 Toss gently until well coated, then add remaining 2 tablespoons oil and toss to coat. Emily Weinstein, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'toss.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 3a

Noun

1634, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of toss was in the 15th century

Cite this Entry

“Toss.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/toss. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

toss

verb
ˈtȯs,
ˈtäs
1
: to throw or swing to and fro or up and down
waves tossed the ship about
2
: to throw with a quick light motion
toss a ball into the air
3
: to lift with a sudden motion
toss the head
4
: to be thrown about rapidly
the river surged and tossed
5
: to move about restlessly
toss in one's sleep
6
: to stir or mix lightly
toss a salad
7
: to drink quickly
toss noun

More from Merriam-Webster on toss

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