throw off

Definition of throw offnext
as in to distract
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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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of throw off In order to solidify his cover in Tehran and throw off the story’s villain, Qasim (Navid Negahban, Kandahar), Tucker hires a young Iranian-American woman, Zara (Bollywood star Elnaaz Norouzi, very good), to pose as his wife. Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 10 Sep. 2026 Burned in his memory are agents yelling at female staffers to throw off their high heels and sprint. Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2026 Fox’s cable news business continues to throw off huge amounts of cash. Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 8 Sep. 2026 Up to this point, Ghostface victims have been stabbed with Buck 120 hunting knives, crushed by garage doors, shot, electrocuted, and thrown off rooftops in ferocious, balls-to-the-wall Scream fashion. Michael Lee Simpson, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for throw off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for throw off
Verb
  • Levi argues that the Blast files were deliberately compromised to distract from their contents.
    Ruth Margalit, New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2026
  • My parents were tense and distracted while my siblings were scared.
    Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 19 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The money was nominally to pay civil servants and prop up infrastructure in a territory sequestered by an Israeli blockade, but many observers agreed that Hamas diverted a significant sum to its military wing.
    Ruth Margalit, New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2026
  • How TADs work Tax Allocation Districts are designated areas where property tax revenue growth is diverted from governments and used to fund development and infrastructure improvements within that district.
    Patreece Hutcherson, AJC.com, 17 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Throw off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/throw%20off. Accessed 22 Sep. 2026.

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