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

For much of Asia, it was more than a war against Japan; it was an unparalleled chance to throw off the yoke of colonial rule.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026

Ohtani likely will throw off a mound late in the week, Roberts said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 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

Despite the pressure on the Jam Tarts, Colin has managed to throw off any last-minute nerves.

From BBC ● May 14, 2026

She would throw off all her cares and become young again, running with me or taking a turn at flying the kite.

From "Dragonwings" by Laurence Yep