throw up

verb

threw up; thrown up; throwing up; throws up

intransitive verb

: vomit

transitive verb

1

: vomit

2

: to raise quickly

3

: to build hurriedly

new houses thrown up almost overnight

4

: give up, quit

the urge … to throw up all intellectual work

—Norman Mailer

5

: to bring forth : produce

6

: to make distinct especially by contrast : cause to stand out

7

: to mention repeatedly by way of reproach

Phrases

throw up one's hands

: to admit defeat

in the end throws up his hands in despair

—Frank Conroy

Synonyms

• barf
• gag
• heave
• hurl
• puke
• retch
• spew
• spit up
• upchuck
• vomit

Examples of throw up in a Sentence

she must have eaten something that didn't agree with her because she threw up right after dinner

when the townspeople realized that the President's motorcade would be coming through on its way to the conference, they threw up a hasty “Welcome” sign

Recent Examples on the Web

The three Knicks players pose with RZA in a flick, sporting the Wu dunks and throwing up the signature two-handed Wu-Tang symbol. —Ime Ekpo, Forbes, 26 Oct. 2024

But the past – including Grace’s dead husband JP (Claes Bang) – seems determined to haunt them while the present throws up another corpse. —K.j. Yossman, Variety, 22 Oct. 2024

Terrifier 3—the new shock horror movie featuring Art the Clown—has people throwing up in theaters and a pair of crewmembers from the film couldn’t be any prouder. —Tim Lammers, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024

While throwing up a green wall in the lobby was considered impressive in the mid-aughts, now companies are hiring firms to design elaborate plantscapes that rival Victorian-era conservatories, with hanging planters, water features, and meditative nooks. —Kim Velsey, Curbed, 25 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2

Kids Definition

throw up

verb

1

: to build or raise hurriedly or quickly

threw up the window

2

: to give up : quit

just wanted to throw the whole thing up

3

: vomit entry 2 sense 1

Medical Definition

throw up

intransitive verb

ˌthrō-ˈəp 

: vomit