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
Staff say the theft forced them to reshuffle routes, delay pickups and scramble to notify parents – throwing off entire school days.
—
Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 28 Mar. 2026
Musgrove will have to progress to throwing off a mound to bullpens to live batting practice to likely minor league rehab games before the Padres can think about activating him.
—Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Mar. 2026
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
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
Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 28 Mar. 2026
Musgrove will have to progress to throwing off a mound to bullpens to live batting practice to likely minor league rehab games before the Padres can think about activating him.
—Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Mar. 2026
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for throwing off
Verb
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Other than that, the differences in the format were small, distracting only because of how ingrained the cadences of the original are.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Mar. 2026
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During the costly possession when the Rebels let the shot clock expire with 41 seconds left, Thienou surprised her coach by passing up a shot while the crowd was roaring and clearly distracting the visitors.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Nordseth also argued the city is illegally diverting money collected through a 2% increase in hotel occupancy taxes, approved by voters in 2022.—
Everton Bailey Jr,
Dallas Morning News,
27 Mar. 2026
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Gut Digestion slows at altitude due to a lack of oxygen in the intestines and the body diverting blood to more critical organs and the muscles that are being used to climb.—
Brad Stulberg,
Outside,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Throwing off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/throwing%20off. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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