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

Deckhands throw back the stones and pack the scallops in ice below deck.

From BBC • Aug. 18, 2024

Acuña was holding up at third, but he took off for home when the throw back to the infield ricocheted off Trea Turner’s glove for the shortstop’s second error of the night.

From Washington Times • Oct. 9, 2023

The ball ricocheted off the base off the wall and kicked cleanly to left fielder Evan Carter, whose relay throw back in forced Crawford to hold at third.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 24, 2023

It was exciting to throw guitars on a Bollywood moment, and then throw back to an old Japanese song from the '60s that I love.

From Salon • May 1, 2023

Alex crouched down, afraid that one of the guards would throw back the tarpaulin and discover him, but the voices faded and he found himself alone.

From "Stormbreaker" by Anthony Horowitz

Related Words

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