throw off

British  

verb

1. to free oneself of; discard

2. to produce or utter in a casual manner

   to throw off a witty remark

3. to escape from or elude

   the fox rapidly threw off his pursuers

4. to confuse or disconcert

   the interruption threw the young pianist off

5. informal to deride or ridicule

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throw off Idioms  

1. Cast out, rid oneself of, as in He threw off all unpleasant memories and went to the reunion . [Early 1600s]

2. Give off, emit, as in The garbage was throwing off an awful smell . [First half of 1700s] Also see throw out , def. 1.

3. Also, . Distract, divert, or mislead, as in A mistaken estimate threw off her calculations , or These clues were designed to throw the detective off the scent . The variant comes from hunting, where the quarry may try to put pursuing hounds off the scent. Its figurative use dates from the mid-1800s. Also see off the track .

4. Perform in a quick, spontaneous, or casual manner, as in He threw off one sketch after another . [Mid-1700s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

throw off

Family members generally don’t live off the dividends company shares throw off, even as they have become more meaningful in recent years.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

It’s unclear when he’ll throw off the mound next.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026

It’s not as if its overtime will throw off any other shows since “The Late Late Show” and “After Midnight” preceded it in death.

From Salon ● May 21, 2026

These tests might make sense for high-risk patients, Klemes says, but they can throw off false positives and often require follow-up testing to make a definitive diagnosis.

From Barron's ● May 21, 2026

In addition to helping us blend in, new clothes might also throw off any wights who’d been tracking us.

From "Hollow City" by Ransom Riggs