throw back

Idioms  

1. Hinder the progress of, check, as in His illness threw his schooling back a year , or The troops were thrown back by a barrage of fire . [First half of 1800s]

2. Revert to an earlier type or stage, as in That dog throws back to his wolf ancestors . This usage gave rise to the noun throwback , a reversion to a former stage or type. [Second half of 1800s]

3. throw back on . Cause to depend on, make reliant on, as in When the violinist didn't show up, they were thrown back on the pianist . [Mid-1800s]

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Example Sentences

Mr. Reyes called out the rules of the sale: Throw back what you don’t want; those caught fighting will be immediately expelled, adding, “And, please, be gentle.”

From New York Times • May 30, 2022

Throw back the blinds and bring me a mirror,' and, with a gentle gaiety that never forsook her when with her sister nuns, she added: 'It is time that I began to admire myself.'

From The Comstock Club by Goodwin, Charles Carroll

Throw back all the shutters of your soul and let the sunlight of genial faces shine in.

From Around The Tea-Table by Talmage, T. De Witt (Thomas De Witt)

Throw back your hood.—Ye gods, she is passing beautiful!

From Andromache A Play in Three Acts by Murray, Gilbert

Throw back the mud that is thrown at you, and you will have dirty hands.

From Joy & Power by Van Dyke, Henry

Related Words

• degenerate
• deteriorate
• ebb
• fall back
• fall off
• recede
• revert