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
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
Zeferjahn has been throwing off a mound for the past week.
—Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 21 Sep. 2025
But the Broncos’ pre-snap motion looked messy at times, and Nix spent much of his time Sunday throwing off-platform.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 8 Sep. 2025
REITs aren’t the only healthcare plays throwing off fat dividends right now, though.
—Brett Owens, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Manager Craig Counsell anticipates Taillon throwing off a mound Wednesday at Oracle Park so the Cubs can gauge how the veteran starter feels and then make a decision about his next start.
—Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 27 Aug. 2025
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
Zeferjahn has been throwing off a mound for the past week.
—Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 21 Sep. 2025
But the Broncos’ pre-snap motion looked messy at times, and Nix spent much of his time Sunday throwing off-platform.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 8 Sep. 2025
REITs aren’t the only healthcare plays throwing off fat dividends right now, though.
—Brett Owens, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Manager Craig Counsell anticipates Taillon throwing off a mound Wednesday at Oracle Park so the Cubs can gauge how the veteran starter feels and then make a decision about his next start.
—Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 27 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for throwing off
Verb
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It’s been only about three weeks since Trump toppled Maduro, and already a long line of other flashpoints — from immigration enforcement to Greenland — are distracting attention from what his administration is doing in Caracas.—
Eleanor Mueller,
semafor.com,
26 Jan. 2026
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The whole idea is to choose something that isn't too distracting.—
Sarah Lyon,
Southern Living,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The memory shortage is only expected to worsen this year, as manufacturers continue to focus on the growing memory demands of the AI industry, diverting capacity from electronics manufacturers.—
Matthew Chin,Dylan Butts,
CNBC,
23 Jan. 2026
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The land is surrounded by water, with the Boise River on one side and a stream diverting from the river running along the other.—
Sally Krutzig,
Idaho Statesman,
23 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Throwing off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/throwing%20off. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
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