throw

American  

[throh] / θroʊ /

verb (used with object)

• throws,
  present (3rd person singular)
• threw,
  past
• thrown,
  past participle
• throwing
  present participle

1. to propel or cast in any way, especially to project or propel from the hand by a sudden forward motion or straightening of the arm and wrist.

   to throw a ball.

   Synonyms:

   launch, fling

2. to hurl or project (a missile), as a gun does.

3. to project or cast (light, a shadow, etc.).

4. to project (the voice).

5. to make it appear that (one's voice) is coming from a place different from its source, as in ventriloquism.

6. to direct or send forth (words, a glance, etc.).

7. to put or cause to go or come into some place, position, condition, etc., as if by hurling.

   to throw someone into prison;

   to throw a bridge across a river;

   to throw troops into action.

8. to put on, off, or away hastily.

   to throw a shawl over one's shoulders.

9. Machinery.

   1. to move (a lever or the like) in order to activate, turn on, disconnect, etc., an apparatus or mechanism.

      to throw the switch.

   2. to connect, engage, disconnect, or disengage by such a procedure.

      to throw the current.

10. to shape on a potter's wheel.

    to throw a vase.

11. to bring to bear or invest.

    Throw all your energy into your work.

    The FBI threw every available agent into the case.

12. to deliver (a blow or punch).

    He threw a hard left jab to his opponent's chin.

13. to cause to fall to the ground, especially to hurl to the ground, as an opponent in wrestling.

14. Cards. to play (a card).

15. to lose (a game, race, or other contest) intentionally, as for a bribe.

16. to cast (dice).

17. to make (a cast) at dice.

    She threw two sixes.

18. (of an animal, as a horse) to cause (someone) to fall off; unseat.

    The horse threw his rider twice.

19. to organize and host.

    They threw a lavish party celebrating his 80th birthday.

20. (of domestic animals) to bring forth (young).

21. Textiles. to twist (filaments) without attenuation in the production of yarn or thread.

22. Informal. to overcome with astonishment or confusion; amaze, disconcert, or confuse.

    It was her falsetto voice on top of it all that really threw me.

23. to turn on a lathe.

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verb (used without object)

• throws,
  present (3rd person singular)
• threw,
  past
• thrown,
  past participle
• throwing
  present participle

1. to cast, fling, or hurl a missile or the like.

noun

• throws
  plural

1. an act or instance of throwing or casting; cast; fling.

   For your first time playing catch, I'd have to say that was a great throw!

2. the distance to which anything is or may be thrown.

   a stone's throw.

3. Informal. a venture or chance.

   It was his last throw.

4. Machinery.

   1. the distance between the center of a crankshaft and the center of the crankpins, equal to one half of the piston stroke.

   2. the distance between the center of a crankshaft and the center of an eccentric.

   3. the movement of a reciprocating part in one direction.

5. (in a movie theater) the distance between the projector and the screen.

6. (in an auditorium or the like) the distance between a loudspeaker and the audience.

7. the length of a beam of light.

   a spotlight with a throw of 500 feet.

8. Theater.

   1. the distance to which a spotlight can be projected.

   2. the area illuminated by a spotlight.

9. a scarf, boa, shawl, or the like.

10. a light blanket, as for use when reclining on a sofa.

11. a cast of dice.

12. the number thrown with a pair of dice.

13. Wrestling. the act, method, or an instance of throwing an opponent.

14. Geology, Mining. the amount of vertical displacement produced by a fault.

verb phrase

1. throw away

   1. to dispose of; discard.

   2. to employ wastefully; squander.

   3. to fail to use; miss (a chance, opportunity, etc.).

      He threw away a college education and a professional career.

   4. (of a performer) to speak or tell (lines, a joke, etc.) casually or indifferently.

2. throw in

   1. to add as a bonus or gratuity.

      They throw in breakfast with the room.

   2. to bring into (a discussion, plan, etc.) as an addition; interject.

      The president threw in an amusing anecdote to relieve the tension.

   3. Cards. to abandon (a hand).

3. throw up

   1. to give up; relinquish.

   2. to build hastily.

   3. to vomit.

   4. to point out, as an error; criticize.

   5. (of a hawk) to fly suddenly upward.

4. throw together

   1. to make in a hurried and haphazard manner.

   2. to cause to associate.

      Many nationalities have been thrown together in the American melting pot.

5. throw back

   1. to retard the development or advancement of.

      His illness threw him back a year at school.

   2. to force into dependence upon or necessary use of.

   3. to return to; hark back.

   4. to revert to a type found in one's ancestry; manifest atavism.

      Her red hair and blue eyes throw back to her great-grandmother.

6. throw off

   1. to free oneself of; cast aside.

      to throw off the wet poncho;

      to throw off the yoke of slavery.

   2. to escape from or delay, as a pursuer.

   3. to give off; discharge.

   4. to perform or produce with ease.

      The entertainer threw off a few songs and jokes to begin the show.

   5. to confuse; fluster.

      Thrown off by jeers, she forgot her lines.

   6. Australian Slang. to criticize or ridicule (usually followed byat ).

7. throw down

   1. to fight or to challenge someone to a fight.

      You wanna throw down with me, punk?

   2. to give a share of the cost; contribute (money).

      Are you going to throw down for this pizza, or what?

   3. to produce or execute (something) successfully; put down.

      The skiers threw down a few good runs before the snow turned to slush.

   4. to cast down; cause to drop.

      Throw down your weapons and surrender!

8. throw over to forsake; abandon.

   She threw over her first husband for another man.

9. throw out

   1. to cast away; remove; discard.

   2. to bring up for consideration; propose.

      The committee threw out a few suggestions.

   3. to put out of mind; reject.

      We can throw out that scheme.

   4. Baseball. to cause to be out by throwing the ball to a fielder, especially an infielder, in time to prevent a batter or runner from reaching base safely.

      The shortstop backhanded the ball and threw the batter out at first.

   5. to eject from a place, especially forcibly.

      He started making a disturbance so the bartenders threw him out.

   6. to expel, as from membership in a club.

idioms

1. throw in the towel, towel.

2. throw (someone or something) under the bus, bus.

3. throw the bull, bull.

4. throw oneself at someone / someone's head, to strive to attract the interest or attention of, especially in order to win the love or admiration of.

   Don't expect me to throw myself at you.

5. throw in the sponge, sponge.

6. throw one's hat in the ring. hat.

7. a throw, each.

   He ordered four suits at $300 a throw.

8. throw oneself on / upon someone, to commit oneself to another's mercy, generosity, support, etc.; trust in.

   The members of his wife's family have all thrown themselves on him.

9. throw oneself into, to engage in with energy or enthusiasm.

   She threw herself into learning the new routines.

10. throw (someone or something) to the wolves / dogs, wolf.

11. throw out the baby with the bathwater. bathwater.

12. throw down the gauntlet / glove. gauntlet.

13. throw cold water on. cold.

throw British  

/ θrəʊ /

verb

1. (also intr) to project or cast (something) through the air, esp with a rapid motion of the arm and wrist

2. to put or move suddenly, carelessly, or violently

   she threw her clothes onto the bed

3. to bring to or cause to be in a specified state or condition, esp suddenly or unexpectedly

   the news threw the family into a panic

4. to direct or cast (a shadow, light, etc)

5. to project (the voice) so as to make it appear to come from other than its source

6. to give or hold (a party)

7. to cause to fall or be upset; dislodge

   the horse soon threw his rider

8. 1. to tip (dice) out onto a flat surface

   2. to obtain (a specified number) in this way

9. to shape (clay) on a potter's wheel

10. to move (a switch or lever) to engage or disengage a mechanism

11. to be subjected to (a fit)

12. to turn (wood, etc) on a lathe

13. informal to baffle or astonish; confuse

    the last question on the test paper threw me

14. boxing to deliver (a punch)

15. wrestling to hurl (an opponent) to the ground

16. informal to lose (a contest, fight, etc) deliberately, esp in boxing

17. 1. to play (a card)

    2. to discard (a card)

18. (of a female animal, esp a cow) to give birth to (young)

19. to twist or spin (filaments) into thread

20. informal to be unenthusiastic about or discourage something

21. to strive actively to attract the attention or affection of

22. to involve oneself enthusiastically in

23. to rely entirely upon

    he threw himself on the mercy of the police

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noun

1. the act or an instance of throwing

2. the distance or extent over which anything may be thrown

   a stone's throw

3. informal a chance, venture, or try

4. an act or result of throwing dice

5. 1. the eccentricity of a cam

   2. the radial distance between the central axis of a crankshaft and the axis of a crankpin forming part of the shaft

6. a decorative light blanket or cover, as thrown over a chair

7. a sheet of fabric used for draping over an easel or unfinished painting, etc, to keep the dust off

8. geology the vertical displacement of rock strata at a fault

9. physics the deflection of a measuring instrument as a result of a sudden fluctuation

throw More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing throw

• (throw) in one's face
• cast (throw) one's lot with
• cast (throw) the first stone
• have (throw) a fit
• knock (throw) for a loop
• pour (throw) cold water on
• shed (throw) light on
• stone's throw

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Synonym Usage

Throw, cast, pitch, toss imply projecting something through the air. Throw is the general word, often used with an adverb that indicates direction, destination, etc.: to throw a rope to someone, the paper away. Cast is a formal word for throw, archaic except as used in certain idiomatic expressions ( to cast a net, black looks; cast down; the compound broadcast, etc.): to cast off a boat. Pitch implies throwing with some force and definite aim: to pitch a baseball. To toss is to throw lightly, as with an underhand or sideways motion, or to move irregularly up and down or back and forth: to toss a bone to a dog.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• thrower
  noun
• misthrow
  verb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• throws
  plural

Participles

• throwing
  present
• thrown
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• throw
  simple
• throws
  simple
• have thrown
  perfect
• has thrown
  perfect
• am throwing
  progressive
• are throwing
  progressive
• is throwing
  progressive
• have been throwing
  perfect progressive
• has been throwing
  perfect progressive

Past

• threw
  simple
• had thrown
  perfect
• was throwing
  progressive
• were throwing
  progressive
• had been throwing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will throw
  simple
• will have thrown
  perfect
• will be throwing
  progressive
• will have been throwing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of throw

First recorded before 1000; Middle English verb throwen, thrawen, Old English thrāwan “to twist, turn”; cognate with Dutch draaien, German drehen “to turn, spin, twirl, whirl”; akin to Latin terere, Greek teírein “to rub away”

Explanation

When you throw a ball, you toss it using your hand. When you throw a party, you buy some food and drinks, then invite your friends over. Throw means many things. You can throw a baseball game, even if you're not the pitcher, by deliberately trying to lose it. You can throw a baby off its schedule — that is, confuse the baby's waking and sleeping times. In basketball, when you get fouled and throw the ball from the free-throw line, you're taking a free throw. You can throw garbage out. Also, a throw is a small blanket you toss over a chair, much like a throw pillow.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

throw throws threw thrown throwing

The harvester sweeps along, filling a large trailer with cider apples that Neil and his team have spent all year trying to grow, only to throw away.

From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026

Sami dropped Brady’s pass, caught Brees’s throw and was “basically destroyed” by McEnroe, he said, according to the court decision.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 25, 2026

Ohtani likely will throw another live batting practice session before potentially returning to the rotation.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026

Presumably, if the administration honchos really think that is the case, they will rush out today and throw all of their money into these grossly undervalued bonds.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 21, 2026

She sprawls out on her fuzzy lime-green area rug beside her bed and shoves the navy throw cushion that says “Relax” in giant lime-green letters under her head.

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam

Day, Tyler, James and Fisher pretend nothing matters until an inexplicable cosmic force throws them into a situation where that becomes a reality.

From Salon ● Aug. 24, 2026

He positions himself as a guy who wants to have a good time and who throws tentpole pop-culture events.

From Slate ● Aug. 24, 2026

No one knows, but Paulsen throws out an alarming guess: He thinks we might see a 10% to 20% correction.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 19, 2026

He throws a fastball a whopping 90% of the time, more often than any other starter in the sport.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026

It felt like my body was a machine, engineered to do nothing but shoot free throws.

From "The Million Dollar Shot" by Dan Gutman

Shoehi Ohtani threw live batting practice for the first time since sustaining a knee injury that has kept him out of the Dodgers’ rotation since July.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2026

Brian Jacobsen was heading into a meeting Wednesday when Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent threw a major curveball at the U.S. bond market.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

He was trying to back up his leader, but accidentally threw him to the wolves.

From Salon ● Aug. 21, 2026

He ended up working in real estate, and in 1996 founded Evergrande, which threw itself into mass development, building in-demand apartments across China and capitalising on its rapid wealth accumulation.

From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026

Wolf’s eyes threw back a faint, shimmering gold light: the light of the Nanuak.

From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver

On 15 April, police were called to the offices of Volant Media in Park Royal, the parent company of Persian news channel Iran International, after an "ignited container" was thrown towards the site.

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

Beijing has thrown its weight behind narrowing that timeframe, calling for the sector's development in its last two five-year plans.

From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026

I would be willing to bet good money that Meta would be able to shrug off any damages, even if they weren’t thrown out on appeal.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026

All that was thrown at him as a sophomore, so it was no surprise he had some offside penalties.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2026

“I got thrown onto my back in utter darkness,” Sue remembered.

From "Mountain of Fire" by Rebecca E. F. Barone

A 2002 hit on the French presidential candidate Jean-Pierre Chevenement -- with a pineapple-flavoured missile at the Paris book fair -- would lead custard-pie throwing to be ruled a criminal offence.

From Barron's ● Aug. 24, 2026

The chain had officially entered chicken sandwich territory, and this quickly spurred a massive fight with the OG sandwich maker Chick-fil-A, with the two brands throwing jabs at each other online for weeks.

From Slate ● Aug. 24, 2026

"This has gone from a FPN for throwing a cigarette butt down - I've never touched a cigarette in my life - to getting a criminal conviction without even knowing," he said.

From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026

It will be his third bullpen since receiving an Orthovisc injection in his left knee at the beginning of the All-Star break to lubricate the joint, but his second since restarting his throwing program.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026

I picture officers in navy jackets throwing my makeup collection into a trash bag or selling my clothes at a garage sale.

From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller

Related Words

• bunt
• deliver
• drive
• fire
• fling
• flip
• force
• heave
• hurl
• lift
• lob
• pitch
• push
• put
• send
• shove
• start
• thrust