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
Finals schedules were thrown off at the University of Minnesota campus.
—
Jeff Wagner, CBS News, 8 May 2026
Uber, in a court filing seeking to have Grimes thrown off the case, said the San Francisco attorney had also misbehaved earlier.
—Ethan Baron, Mercury News, 8 May 2026
Someone with lower self-efficacy might be thrown off their routine if presented with the same obstacles.
—Laura Baehr, The Conversation, 7 May 2026
Richard got thrown off a stage; Mal as well.
—Matt Thompson, SPIN, 4 May 2026
Without full accounting, required financial statements, annual audits, budget tracking and forecasting are thrown off and libraries risk spending money that’s supposed to be dedicated to pensions on building maintenance, Franco said.
—A.d. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 26 Apr. 2026
Because the images rotate at a screen-saver pace, my advice would be to focus on the preparatory drawings and cartoons, which are like sparks thrown off some great, beautiful machine.
—Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
The White House has been trying to focus on housing and other affordability issues for months to get ready for what’s expected to be a challenging midterm season for Republicans, but it has been thrown off course by a series of global issues.
—Josh Boak, Fortune, 14 Apr. 2026
The White House has been trying to focus on housing and other affordability issues for months to get ready for what’s expected to be a challenging midterm season for Republicans, but it has been thrown off course by a series of global issues.
—ABC News, 13 Apr. 2026
Jeff Wagner, CBS News, 8 May 2026
Uber, in a court filing seeking to have Grimes thrown off the case, said the San Francisco attorney had also misbehaved earlier.
—Ethan Baron, Mercury News, 8 May 2026
Someone with lower self-efficacy might be thrown off their routine if presented with the same obstacles.
—Laura Baehr, The Conversation, 7 May 2026
Richard got thrown off a stage; Mal as well.
—Matt Thompson, SPIN, 4 May 2026
Without full accounting, required financial statements, annual audits, budget tracking and forecasting are thrown off and libraries risk spending money that’s supposed to be dedicated to pensions on building maintenance, Franco said.
—A.d. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 26 Apr. 2026
Because the images rotate at a screen-saver pace, my advice would be to focus on the preparatory drawings and cartoons, which are like sparks thrown off some great, beautiful machine.
—Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
The White House has been trying to focus on housing and other affordability issues for months to get ready for what’s expected to be a challenging midterm season for Republicans, but it has been thrown off course by a series of global issues.
—Josh Boak, Fortune, 14 Apr. 2026
The White House has been trying to focus on housing and other affordability issues for months to get ready for what’s expected to be a challenging midterm season for Republicans, but it has been thrown off course by a series of global issues.
—ABC News, 13 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for thrown off
Verb
-
Yachty distracted referee Daphanie LaShaunn and Sami Zayn used a candy cane stick on Trick Williams.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
9 May 2026
-
Others said the changes have distracted Target from basics such as consistent stocking of groceries and having a balanced mix of national brands alongside its private labels.—
Star Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
Instead of remitting those taxes to the IRS, prosecutors alleged Kapoor diverted over $2 million from company accounts for his personal benefit.—
Jay Weaver,
Miami Herald,
14 May 2026
-
Vehicles were allowed to use the slow lane and traffic was diverted off at the rest area.—
City News Service,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Thrown off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thrown%20off. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
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