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

Historically, these groves would throw off 500 boxes per acre.

From Slate • Apr. 20, 2026

Canada will grab and jostle the U.S., get physical and hope to throw off their mojo.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 17, 2026

The rap on this year’s pack of gubernatorial hopefuls is they’re a collective bore, as though the lack of A-list sizzle and failure to throw off sparks is some kind of mortal sin.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 28, 2026

After they abandoned their scooters for a van, it headed for the suburbs "to throw off the investigators by entering an area not covered by cameras", the source added.

From Barron's • Jan. 19, 2026

You throw off your troubles as best you can, square your shoulders, and reach within.

From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove