as in distracted
to draw the attention or mind to something else
the sudden noise just threw me off completely, and I missed my shot
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Recent Examples of threw off
In the five decades since Portugal threw off its fascist dictatorship, a presidential election has only once before — in 1986 — required a runoff, highlighting how fragmented the political landscape has become with the rise of the far-right and voter disenchantment with mainstream parties.
—
Reuters, NBC news, 18 Jan. 2026
That quick interior pressure threw off the timing of an offense that requires it.
—Colton Pouncy, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2026
That did not happen in my house, where the workdays were long, everyone’s calendars were packed and a bad cold threw off our schedule for a week.
—Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 3 Nov. 2025
Reuters, NBC news, 18 Jan. 2026
That quick interior pressure threw off the timing of an offense that requires it.
—Colton Pouncy, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2026
That did not happen in my house, where the workdays were long, everyone’s calendars were packed and a bad cold threw off our schedule for a week.
—Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 3 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for threw off
Verb
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As Amodei warned this week, AI may yet be positioned to inflict maximum damage on a hapless and perpetually distracted human race.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
1 Feb. 2026
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Reigns, then, took care of Fatu when Fatu was distracted by the happenings between McIntyre and Rhodes.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Delta Airlines confirmed to CBS News that a flight had an engine issue, and a handful of flights that were scheduled to arrive at DTW were diverted to other airports.—
DeJanay Booth-Singleton,
CBS News,
29 Jan. 2026
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No injuries were reported, but 114 was closed and traffic was being diverted to Texas 121 south and Texas 360 south.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Threw off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/threw%20off. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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