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
He was thrown off course in stage 2 by Daniel Suarez.
—
Kevin Lyttle, Austin American Statesman, 1 Mar. 2026
Authorities in the San Francisco Bay Area posted video of a rescue of a family from a burning apartment building over the weekend, in which a toddler and dog were thrown off a balcony to waiting police officers below.
—Tim Fang, CBS News, 26 Feb. 2026
The rider, who wasn’t wearing a helmet, was thrown off in the collision and critically injured.
—Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Feb. 2026
The sparks thrown off in the process could become the energy for better thoughts—for more complex and perhaps even original ideas.
—Jake Lundberg, The Atlantic, 19 Feb. 2026
While foxhunting in Virginia in November 1993, Onassis was thrown off a horse and was subsequently hospitalized.
—Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 13 Feb. 2026
Duprey, who wasn’t wearing a helmet, lost control, sideswiped a tree and was thrown off the scooter, officials said.
—Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 6 Feb. 2026
The trailer gives a taste of just how dire the situation is, as Stephanie’s is totally thrown off without her gum.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 29 Jan. 2026
We were thrown off a little bit.
—Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 29 Jan. 2026
Kevin Lyttle, Austin American Statesman, 1 Mar. 2026
Authorities in the San Francisco Bay Area posted video of a rescue of a family from a burning apartment building over the weekend, in which a toddler and dog were thrown off a balcony to waiting police officers below.
—Tim Fang, CBS News, 26 Feb. 2026
The rider, who wasn’t wearing a helmet, was thrown off in the collision and critically injured.
—Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Feb. 2026
The sparks thrown off in the process could become the energy for better thoughts—for more complex and perhaps even original ideas.
—Jake Lundberg, The Atlantic, 19 Feb. 2026
While foxhunting in Virginia in November 1993, Onassis was thrown off a horse and was subsequently hospitalized.
—Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 13 Feb. 2026
Duprey, who wasn’t wearing a helmet, lost control, sideswiped a tree and was thrown off the scooter, officials said.
—Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 6 Feb. 2026
The trailer gives a taste of just how dire the situation is, as Stephanie’s is totally thrown off without her gum.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 29 Jan. 2026
We were thrown off a little bit.
—Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 29 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for thrown off
Verb
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The premise itself is funny, and so is watching Brennan’s character get distracted enough by them to eventually join.—
Rima Parikh,
Vulture,
1 Mar. 2026
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While the person is distracted, the initial suspect quickly steals the ATM card from the machine and replaces it with a counterfeit card.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
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An echo of that earlier outrage followed the revelations of the Epstein files, though this round has so far been diverted into mutual partisan recrimination, more than the focus on institutional changes that characterized those earlier movements.—
Adam Serwer,
The Atlantic,
26 Feb. 2026
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When a significant portion of rent revenue is diverted to taxes, that money is unavailable for heat, hot water, maintenance, repairs, insurance and utilities.—
Kenny Burgos,
New York Daily News,
26 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Thrown off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thrown%20off. Accessed 4 Mar. 2026.
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