throw back
Idioms-
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]
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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]
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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]
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.
Deckhands throw back the stones and pack the scallops in ice below deck.
From BBC • Aug. 18, 2024
He backtracked desperately, and the throw back to the infield skidded past second baseman Ozzie Albies.
From Washington Times • Oct. 9, 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
Fishers are required to measure lobsters from eyes to tail and must throw back the crustaceans if they’re too large or too small.
From Seattle Times • Feb. 6, 2023
It makes me sick, having to throw back the shorts, but you got to do it.
From "The Young Man and the Sea" by Rodman Philbrick
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
