as in distracting
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 throwing off
McKee did not appear as sharp during under-center individual drills, often throwing off-target balls — apparently because of timing.
—
Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 10 June 2026
Chip stocks, however, stumbled; bitcoin is hovering at its weakest since the war began, private credit is throwing off sparks again — and a flesh-eating parasite has turned up in Texas.
—Anniek Bao, CNBC, 5 June 2026
Now scientists have discovered the behemoth is throwing off a hot breeze.
—Jeanna Bryner, Scientific American, 4 June 2026
Miller is five weeks into a throwing program and expects to start throwing off a mound for the first time this week.
—Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 3 June 2026
At times, his lower half was opening too quickly, throwing off the way his legs worked with his upper half.
—Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 2 June 2026
Your schedule, routines or work environment could feel especially chaotic today, with interruptions throwing off your modus operandi and usual sense of control.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 22 May 2026
Otherwise, there was little evidence of factors that might be throwing off the results.
—ArsTechnica, 29 Apr. 2026
The Hudson Yards area is throwing off cash.
—Peter Peyser, New York Daily News, 26 Apr. 2026
Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 10 June 2026
Chip stocks, however, stumbled; bitcoin is hovering at its weakest since the war began, private credit is throwing off sparks again — and a flesh-eating parasite has turned up in Texas.
—Anniek Bao, CNBC, 5 June 2026
Now scientists have discovered the behemoth is throwing off a hot breeze.
—Jeanna Bryner, Scientific American, 4 June 2026
Miller is five weeks into a throwing program and expects to start throwing off a mound for the first time this week.
—Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 3 June 2026
At times, his lower half was opening too quickly, throwing off the way his legs worked with his upper half.
—Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 2 June 2026
Your schedule, routines or work environment could feel especially chaotic today, with interruptions throwing off your modus operandi and usual sense of control.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 22 May 2026
Otherwise, there was little evidence of factors that might be throwing off the results.
—ArsTechnica, 29 Apr. 2026
The Hudson Yards area is throwing off cash.
—Peter Peyser, New York Daily News, 26 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for throwing off
Verb
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In addition, intense, exciting soccer matches can be distracting and lead to overlooking subtle signs of dehydration.—
Lisa Fitzpatrick,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2026
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Finally, toolbars are becoming more consistent, and the distracting icons in drop-down menus are quietly disappearing.—
Edward Mendelson,
PC Magazine,
10 June 2026
Verb
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This journey requires them to climb fish ladders over dams, navigate culverts diverting streams under roads, and ascend up to elevations of 7,000 feet.—
Idaho Statesman,
Idaho Statesman,
12 June 2026
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With nearly 20% of the world’s global oil flows initially disrupted by the war, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are diverting more volumes via pipelines.—
Jordan Blum,
Fortune,
12 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Throwing off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/throwing%20off. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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