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

Stress throws off some key hormones that control your menstrual cycle. —Julia Ries, SELF, 24 Feb. 2025

Michael Kopech threw off a mound Saturday for the first time this spring. —Bill Plunkett, Orange County Register, 22 Feb. 2025

Super Bowl 2025 Full Recap: Eagles Shut Down the Chiefs to Win, Kendrick Lamar Rocks the Superdome In response to the boos from Canadians, Matthew threw off his gloves and started the fastest fight ever in an NHL international game, according to ESPN. —Sam Gillette, People.com, 17 Feb. 2025

Related article Shohei Ohtani wins 3rd AP Male Athlete of the Year award, tying Michael Jordan for 1 shy of record Ohtani threw off flat ground on Wednesday and was pleased with how the session went. —Jamie Barton, CNN, 13 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

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

Rhymes for throw off

• ashraf
• checkoff
• cutoff
• falloff
• handoff
• kickoff
• layoff
• liftoff
• markoff
• markov
• payoff
• playoff

Kids Definition

throw off

verb

: to send out : emit

a sparkler throws off sparks