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

Now, there’s a debate among leakers about whether or not Marvel Rivals developer NetEase may be planting fake names and information in the data that’s being mined in order to throw off these leakers and all the reporting on those leaks. —Paul Tassi, Forbes, 24 Jan. 2025

Kershaw, who underwent knee and foot surgeries this offseason, is not yet throwing off a mound, but has progressed in his throwing program. —Raul A. Reyes, Newsweek, 23 Jan. 2025

That generous revenue stream, a remnant of the days when RSNs threw off cash like so many malfunctioning ATMs, will be tough to replicate under the new patchwork structure. —Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 15 Jan. 2025

Hurts would seemingly run less while Love’s elbow injury, at least, shouldn’t affect his tendency to throw off his back foot — a major reason the Packers were swept in four games by the Lions and Vikings. —Vic Tafur, The Athletic, 10 Jan. 2025

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