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Synonyms

throw up

British  

verb

  1. to give up; abandon, relinquish

  2. to build or construct hastily

  3. to reveal; produce

    every generation throws up its own leaders

  4. informal (also intr) to vomit

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

throw up Idioms  
  1. Vomit, as in The new drug makes many patients throw up . [First half of 1700s]

  2. Abandon, relinquish, as in After the results of the poll came in, she threw up her campaign for the Senate .

  3. Construct hurriedly, as in The builder threw up three houses in a matter of a few months . [Late 1500s]

  4. throw it up to . Criticize, upbraid, as in Dad was always throwing it up to the boys that they were careless and messy . [Early 1800s]


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

In the face of a financial quagmire, why not throw up a few glow sticks?

From Slate Jun. 25, 2026

Sometimes they would eat so much in one sitting that they would throw up.

From The Wall Street Journal Jun. 22, 2026

Lyndon Dykes looked, for a second, as if he was going to throw up.

From BBC Jun. 20, 2026

Among other agenda items, nations will consider how to equitably reduce fossil fuel production and consumption, and reforming subsidies that throw up barriers to renewable energy investment.

From Barron's Apr. 28, 2026

I sat in the back and tried not to throw up as Stephen Kellner navigated the undulating roads at unsafe velocities.

From "Darius the Great Is Not Okay" by Adib Khorram

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