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
Miler, currently dealing with lower back tightness, is scheduled to throw a side session on Wednesday after being limited to throwing off flat ground.
—
Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2026
Morgan started throwing off the mound a bit after transferring to Hope International University and continued to dabble in pitching in the West Coast summer league in Portland, Ore.
—Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Feb. 2026
This tasty herb uses its eucalyptus-like scent to confuse insects in the area by throwing off the cherry smell with something more pungent.
—Ashlyn Needham, The Spruce, 16 Feb. 2026
In episode 9, the duo was hard at work picking whom to murder and throwing off the faithfuls from discovering their traitor identities.
—Bebe Hodges, Cincinnati Enquirer, 13 Feb. 2026
It's been a long road to (temporarily) throwing off all the trappings that make Guy Fieri recognizable as the pop cultural icon who won the first won America's heart in 2006 by winning the second season of The Next Food Network Star.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Feb. 2026
Less light exposure during the winter months shifts your biological clock, throwing off your hormones, mood, and sleep.
—Marisa McMillan, Outside, 20 Dec. 2025
The next step for Horton, who’s recovering from a fractured right rib, will be throwing off a mound on Tuesday at Wrigley Field.
—Andy McCullough, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
What's throwing off the seasons?
—N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 22 Sep. 2025
Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2026
Morgan started throwing off the mound a bit after transferring to Hope International University and continued to dabble in pitching in the West Coast summer league in Portland, Ore.
—Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Feb. 2026
This tasty herb uses its eucalyptus-like scent to confuse insects in the area by throwing off the cherry smell with something more pungent.
—Ashlyn Needham, The Spruce, 16 Feb. 2026
In episode 9, the duo was hard at work picking whom to murder and throwing off the faithfuls from discovering their traitor identities.
—Bebe Hodges, Cincinnati Enquirer, 13 Feb. 2026
It's been a long road to (temporarily) throwing off all the trappings that make Guy Fieri recognizable as the pop cultural icon who won the first won America's heart in 2006 by winning the second season of The Next Food Network Star.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Feb. 2026
Less light exposure during the winter months shifts your biological clock, throwing off your hormones, mood, and sleep.
—Marisa McMillan, Outside, 20 Dec. 2025
The next step for Horton, who’s recovering from a fractured right rib, will be throwing off a mound on Tuesday at Wrigley Field.
—Andy McCullough, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
What's throwing off the seasons?
—N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 22 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for throwing off
Verb
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With a smooth leather fabric lining, a vachetta leather strap, and the brand’s signature denim logo print, its pattern makes a statement without distracting from your outfit.—
Caley Sturgill,
Southern Living,
3 Mar. 2026
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Balances were a recurrent problem in the Prokofiev, and, with big and often distracting gestures, Kavakos didn’t always keep up with the soloist, the DSO’s excellent concertmaster, Alexander Kerr.—
Scott Cantrell,
Dallas Morning News,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia is diverting millions of barrels of crude to a port on its Red Sea coast, helping the world’s top exporter maintain some supplies.—
Arsalan Shahla,
Fortune,
7 Mar. 2026
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This marks the first example of a ship diverting from Europe to Asia during the current price spike, the firm said.—
Lee Ying Shan,Anniek Bao,Victor Loh,
CNBC,
4 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Throwing off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/throwing%20off. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
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