as in distracted
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 thrown off
When the deputy was struck, he was thrown off the overpass and landed below on Harry Hines Boulevard.
—
Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 28 Oct. 2025
The same city that’s seen more chairs thrown off a bar rooftop by a country music star within the past two years than 10-win Vanderbilt seasons in more than a century?
—Quentin Corpuel, Kansas City Star, 23 Oct. 2025
One of his shoes was thrown off and found in a yard.
—Mara H. Gottfried, Twin Cities, 18 Oct. 2025
Later, she’s thrown off school grounds for stealing office supplies and sports equipment.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2025
Neuroscientists are only scratching the surface of what happens when the networks are thrown off balance, but the work could lead to more treatments to fix them, Cembrowski said.
—Yasemin Saplakoglu, Quanta Magazine, 29 Sep. 2025
The Europeans are far too mentally tough to be thrown off their game.
—Ian O'Connor, New York Times, 28 Sep. 2025
Alex feels welcomed in this new town, but is immediately thrown off kilter by the intimacy among neighbors in Tall Pines.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 25 Sep. 2025
Without it, in theory, the player might feel thrown off or less secure in their serve, which, in turn, could affect the trajectory of the point (and potentially the game, and then the set, and then the match, because in tennis, it all snowballs.
—Caroline Tien, SELF, 5 Sep. 2025
Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 28 Oct. 2025
The same city that’s seen more chairs thrown off a bar rooftop by a country music star within the past two years than 10-win Vanderbilt seasons in more than a century?
—Quentin Corpuel, Kansas City Star, 23 Oct. 2025
One of his shoes was thrown off and found in a yard.
—Mara H. Gottfried, Twin Cities, 18 Oct. 2025
Later, she’s thrown off school grounds for stealing office supplies and sports equipment.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2025
Neuroscientists are only scratching the surface of what happens when the networks are thrown off balance, but the work could lead to more treatments to fix them, Cembrowski said.
—Yasemin Saplakoglu, Quanta Magazine, 29 Sep. 2025
The Europeans are far too mentally tough to be thrown off their game.
—Ian O'Connor, New York Times, 28 Sep. 2025
Alex feels welcomed in this new town, but is immediately thrown off kilter by the intimacy among neighbors in Tall Pines.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 25 Sep. 2025
Without it, in theory, the player might feel thrown off or less secure in their serve, which, in turn, could affect the trajectory of the point (and potentially the game, and then the set, and then the match, because in tennis, it all snowballs.
—Caroline Tien, SELF, 5 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for thrown off
Verb
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Several reasons were to blame for the scary-low turnout, including a dearth of new releases as well as the misfortune of Halloween landing on a Friday, which meant families were distracted by trick-or-treating.—
Rebecca Rubin,
Variety,
2 Nov. 2025
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Once written, the script’s fantastic promise distracted its readers from the fatal holes in its plot.—
Elizabeth D. Samet,
Foreign Affairs,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Following the crash, the Kendall County Sheriff’s Office announced on Facebook that the westbound lane of I-10 near the 534-mile marker was closed and that traffic was being diverted.—
Sam Gillette,
PEOPLE,
29 Oct. 2025
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The flight was diverted to Boston Logan International Airport, and Usiripalli was taken into custody.—
Cindy Von Quednow,
CNN Money,
28 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Thrown off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thrown%20off. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
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