throw shade
idiomatic phrase
informal
: to publicly express contempt or disrespect for someone or something especially in an indirect or subtle way : criticize
… answered a question to the media that seemed to throw shade at his former teammate …—
Farbod Esnaashari
Farbod Esnaashari… was accused of throwing shade at the singer in a now-deleted TikTok [video].—Leyla Mohammed
Leyla MohammedWhen the vendor typed "excuse me," my friend assumed the vendor was throwing major shade his way …—Jennifer Silverman
Jennifer Silverman… haters took to the comment section and threw major shade at the star …—Julia Teti
Julia TetiExamples of throw shade in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
James’ show of support for Lamar comes shortly after Drizzy switched around one of his lyrics at his Wednesday concert in Australia, seemingly to throw shade at the athlete.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 6 Feb. 2025
Toni threw shade at the Memphis native’s physical appearance, likening her to an adolescent while attempting to clown her for her visible fandom.
—Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 4 Feb. 2025
Listen to this article Greg Penner throws shade the way Peyton Manning threw the out-and-go.
—Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 15 Jan. 2025
In the Instagram Stories posts that followed, the season 16 Bachelorette star raised a few eyebrows by seemingly throwing shade about a past contestant almost wasting her time.
—Angel Saunders, People.com, 30 Jan. 2025
That was, seriously, my best of CES, not to throw shade at Xreal or anyone else that impressed me.
—Charlie Fink, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
Always give yourself affection and take care of your needs by nurturing your emotions and not giving an ounce of attention to the haters throwing shade at you.
—Lisa Stardust, refinery29.com, 18 Dec. 2024
Despite recently partying together for Offset’s birthday, the former Migos rapper seems to be throwing shade at his estranged wife, criticizing her parenting and accusing her of lying.
—Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 17 Dec. 2024
The hearts, however, didn't stop the idea that Ramsay's message was throwing shade at Blanco — and his looks.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 12 Dec. 2024
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 6 Feb. 2025
Toni threw shade at the Memphis native’s physical appearance, likening her to an adolescent while attempting to clown her for her visible fandom.
—Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 4 Feb. 2025
Listen to this article Greg Penner throws shade the way Peyton Manning threw the out-and-go.
—Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 15 Jan. 2025
In the Instagram Stories posts that followed, the season 16 Bachelorette star raised a few eyebrows by seemingly throwing shade about a past contestant almost wasting her time.
—Angel Saunders, People.com, 30 Jan. 2025
That was, seriously, my best of CES, not to throw shade at Xreal or anyone else that impressed me.
—Charlie Fink, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
Always give yourself affection and take care of your needs by nurturing your emotions and not giving an ounce of attention to the haters throwing shade at you.
—Lisa Stardust, refinery29.com, 18 Dec. 2024
Despite recently partying together for Offset’s birthday, the former Migos rapper seems to be throwing shade at his estranged wife, criticizing her parenting and accusing her of lying.
—Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 17 Dec. 2024
The hearts, however, didn't stop the idea that Ramsay's message was throwing shade at Blanco — and his looks.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 12 Dec. 2024
Articles Related to throw shade
Dictionary Entries Near throw shade
Cite this Entry
“Throw shade.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/throw%20shade. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share