throw off

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 This strike was not intended to harm the people of Yemen, who rightly want to throw off the yoke of Houthi subjugation and live peacefully. Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Apr. 2025 After having started an AOL chat message friendship with President George W. Bush, Rumi is kidnapped from his home and thrown off a plane into Iraq, with the president himself directing the child to help the U.S. military track down and kill Osama Bin Laden. Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 18 Apr. 2025 That won’t be the case for everyone—athletes who have spent years honing their swings and timing could be thrown off by the new shape, and several players using torpedo bats have had terrible starts to this season. Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2025 But Ukrainian jamming of satellite radios throws off Russian munitions’ accuracy more than Russian jamming throws off Ukrainian accuracy, as the Ukrainian bombs have superior backup guidance in the form of inertial systems that calculate a munition’s position by way of precise accelerometers. David Axe, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for throw off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for throw off
Verb
  • Critics suggested that Johnson timed the announcement to distract from the fact that he’d just been fined for attending a party in defiance of his own COVID restrictions, though the policy had been months in the making.
    Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 16 May 2025
  • These lingering to-dos consume mental energy, distract our focus, and elevate stress.
    Luciana Paulise, Forbes.com, 15 May 2025
Verb
  • Armed with doctored invoices, the fraudsters impersonate the staff of legitimate companies in order to divert cargo into the hands of criminals.
    Courtney Reagan,Scott Zamost, CNBC, 9 May 2025
  • The barriers and dams also diverted the lava flow towards a safe direction.
    Monica Cull, Discover Magazine, 9 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Throw off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/throw%20off. Accessed 21 May. 2025.

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