throw (someone) a bone
idiom
informal
: to offer (someone) something that is not very important or valuable especially to stop complaints or protests
The boss would not let his workers out early for the holiday but threw them a bone by buying lunch.
Examples of throw (someone) a bone in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Suspending her was just a way to throw a bone to his supporters and get more media attention.
—
Tori Otten, The New Republic, 9 Aug. 2023
Typically, Democratic bills that help working people throw a bone to corporate America.
—Faiz Shakir, The New Republic, 27 Sep. 2021
If this movie is about heavenly reward for men who were deprived of their big-league dreams, why didn’t the script writer throw a bone to Black players?
—J.d. Morris, San Francisco Chronicle, 13 Aug. 2021
But this’ll throw a bone to those fans who go ga-ga every time the old uniforms come out.
—Dave Hyde, sun-sentinel.com, 20 Feb. 2021
Tori Otten, The New Republic, 9 Aug. 2023
Typically, Democratic bills that help working people throw a bone to corporate America.
—Faiz Shakir, The New Republic, 27 Sep. 2021
If this movie is about heavenly reward for men who were deprived of their big-league dreams, why didn’t the script writer throw a bone to Black players?
—J.d. Morris, San Francisco Chronicle, 13 Aug. 2021
But this’ll throw a bone to those fans who go ga-ga every time the old uniforms come out.
—Dave Hyde, sun-sentinel.com, 20 Feb. 2021
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'throw (someone) a bone.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Throw (someone) a bone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/throw%20%28someone%29%20a%20bone. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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