throw off

verb

threw off; thrown off; throwing off; throws off

transitive verb

1

a

: to free oneself from : get rid of

threw off his inhibitions

b

: to cast off often in a hurried or vigorous manner : abandon

threw off all restraint

c

: distract, divert

dogs thrown off by a false scent

2

: emit, give off

stacks throwing off plumes of smoke

3

: to produce in an offhand manner : execute with speed or facility

some little … tune that the composer had thrown off

—James Hilton

4

a

: to cause to depart from an expected or desired course

mistakes threw his calculations off a bit

b

: to cause to make a mistake : mislead

5

: earn, generate

an investment that throws off a sizable income

intransitive verb

1

: to begin hunting

2

: to make derogatory comments

Synonyms

• abstract
• call off
• detract
• distract
• divert

Examples of throw off in a Sentence

the sudden noise just threw me off completely, and I missed my shot

Recent Examples on the Web

Cannons and the bells made a cacophony of celebration as pro-Union Los Angeles threw off its timidity and danced in the streets. —Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024

Specifically, patrons of Chief's are asking to see the chair that the country music star, 30, allegedly threw off the rooftop of the music venue, bar and restaurant on Sunday, April 7, leading to his arrest. —Sadie Bell, Peoplemag, 10 Apr. 2024

The remote archipelago is throwing off a troubled colonial past to tell new stories. —Catherine Fairweather, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Mar. 2024

But the Taiwanese right-hander only threw off a mound for the first time Sunday after being sidelined by an oblique strain to begin camp. —Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2024

The angle of just about five degrees is enough to throw off the alignment, so the new moon typically passes slightly above or slightly below the slice of light beamed from the sun onto Earth, rather than passing through it. —Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2024

The desire to bring back a traditional Muslim way of life from before the French arrived—with the implications this held for the role of women or nonbelievers—became the animating force of the uprising and the essential purpose of throwing off colonialism. —Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 28 Mar. 2024

After most of the Netherlands threw off Habsburg rule, in 1579, the Dutch formed a republic that capitalized on these changes. —Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2024

They may be thrown off or need time to process the emotional impact of being demeaned or dismissed. —Heather V. MacArthur, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1b

Kids Definition

throw off

verb

: to send out : emit

a sparkler throws off sparks