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
Among a group of influential men – law professors – at a dinner party one evening was a Communist Party member brainstorming how to throw a bone to pro-democracy activists.
—
Lenora Chu, The Christian Science Monitor, 2 Oct. 2024
Hollywood has been known to throw a bone to actresses who really go for it and throw convention out the window, and in that vein, Adams and her fellow thespians have plenty to chew on.
—Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 10 Sep. 2024
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
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of
Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback
about these examples.
Lenora Chu, The Christian Science Monitor, 2 Oct. 2024
Hollywood has been known to throw a bone to actresses who really go for it and throw convention out the window, and in that vein, Adams and her fellow thespians have plenty to chew on.
—Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 10 Sep. 2024
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
Dictionary Entries Near throw (someone) a bone
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 14 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share