I. throw 1 S1 W1 /θrəʊ $ θroʊ/ BrE AmE verb ( past tense threw /θruː/, past participle thrown /θrəʊn $ θroʊn/)
[ Language: Old English ; Origin: thrawan 'to cause to twist or turn' ]
1 . THROW A BALL/STONE ETC [intransitive and transitive] to make an object such as a ball move quickly through the air by pushing your hand forward quickly and letting the object go
throw something to somebody
He threw his shirt to someone in the crowd.
throw something at somebody/something
Someone threw a stone at the car.
a crowd of boys throwing snowballs at each other
throw somebody something
Throw me that towel, would you.
► You throw something to someone when you want them to catch it. You throw something at someone when you want to hit them.
2 . PUT SOMETHING CARELESSLY [transitive always + adverb/preposition] to put something somewhere quickly and carelessly:
He threw a handful of money onto the table.
Don’t just throw your clothes on the floor – pick them up!
3 . PUSH ROUGHLY/VIOLENTLY [transitive always + adverb/preposition] to push someone or something roughly and violently:
The bus stopped suddenly and we were all thrown forwards.
The guards threw Biko to the ground and started kicking him.
The bomb exploded, throwing bricks and debris into the air.
She drew the curtains and threw open the windows.
4 . MAKE SOMEBODY FALL [transitive]
a) to make your opponent fall to the ground in a sport in which you fight
b) if a horse throws its rider, it makes them fall onto the ground
5 . MOVE HANDS/HEAD ETC [transitive always + adverb/preposition] to suddenly and quickly move your hands, arms, head etc into a new position:
I threw my arms around her and kissed her.
He threw his head back and laughed.
6 . CONFUSE SOMEBODY [transitive] to make someone feel very confused:
It threw me completely when she said she was coming to stay with us.
7 . throw yourself at/on/into/down etc to move or jump somewhere suddenly and with a lot of force:
He threw himself down onto the bed.
She committed suicide by throwing herself out of a tenth floor window.
8 . throw somebody in/into prison/jail to put someone in prison:
Anyone who opposes the regime is thrown in jail.
9 . throw somebody out of work/office etc to suddenly take away someone’s job or position of authority:
Hundreds of men were thrown out of work when the mine closed down.
Elections were held, and the government was thrown out of office.
10 . throw somebody/something into confusion/chaos/disarray etc to make people feel very confused and not certain about what they should do:
Everyone was thrown into confusion by this news.
The transport industry has been thrown into chaos by the strike.
11 . throw doubt on something to make people think that something is probably not true:
Fresh evidence has thrown doubt on her story.
12 . throw suspicion on somebody to make people think that someone is probably guilty:
This latest document throws suspicion on the company chairman.
13 . throw somebody a look/glance/smile etc to quickly look at someone with a particular expression that shows how you are feeling:
He threw Anna a big smile.
He threw a glance at Connor.
14 . throw a fit/tantrum to react in a very angry way:
I can’t tell my parents – they’d throw a fit!
15 . throw a question/remark etc (at somebody) to say something to someone or ask them something roughly:
They threw a few awkward questions at me.
‘You’re early!’ she threw at him accusingly.
16 . throw something open
a) to allow people to go into a place that is usually kept private
throw something open to
Plans have been announced to throw the Palace open to the public.
b) to allow anyone to take part in a competition or a discussion
throw something open to
I would now like to throw the debate open to our audience.
17 . throw a switch/handle/lever to make something start or stop working by moving a control:
He threw a switch and the lights all went out.
18 . throw a party to organize a party and invite people
19 . throw money at something informal to try to solve a problem by spending a lot of money but without really thinking about the problem:
The problem cannot be solved by throwing money at it.
20 . be thrown back on something to be forced to have to depend on your own skills, knowledge etc:
Once again, we were thrown back on our own resources.
21 . throw yourself into something to start doing an activity with a lot of effort and energy:
Since her husband died, she’s thrown herself into her work.
22 . throw your weight around to use your position of authority to tell people what to do in an unreasonable way:
He’s the sort of insensitive bully who enjoys throwing his weight around.
23 . throw your weight behind somebody/something to support a plan, person etc and use your power to make sure they succeed:
The party leadership is throwing its weight behind the campaign.
24 . throw light on something to make something easier to understand by providing new information:
Recent investigations have thrown new light on how the two men died.
25 . throw a light/shadow to make light or shadow fall on a particular place:
The trees threw long, dark shadows across the cornfield.
26 . throw the book at somebody informal to punish someone as severely as possible or charge them with as many offences as possible:
If you get caught they’ll throw the book at you!
27 . throw something (back) in sb’s face to be unkind to someone after they have been kind to you or helped you:
I felt that everything I’d done for them was thrown back in my face.
28 . throw up your hands (in horror/dismay etc) to do something that shows you think something is not good but feel you cannot do anything to change it:
Ted threw up his hands in disgust. ‘Can’t you make her change her mind?’ he asked.
29 . throw in your hand to stop trying to do something SYN give up
30 . throw yourself at somebody informal to try very hard to attract someone’s attention because you want to have a sexual relationship with them
31 . throw a punch to try to hit someone with your hand in a fight:
We need to sort this out before people start throwing punches.
32 . throw a match/game/fight to deliberately lose a fight or sports game that you could have won:
He was allegedly offered £20,000 to throw the match.
33 . throw dice/a six/a four etc to roll ↑ dice or to get a particular number by rolling dice:
You have to throw a six to start.
34 . throw a pot to make a pot by shaping clay as it turns round on a special wheel
35 . throw your voice to use a special trick to make your voice seem to be coming from a different place from the place you are standing
36 . throw caution to the wind(s) to ignore the risks and deliberately behave in a way that may cause trouble or problems:
I threw caution to the winds and followed him.
37 . throw the baby out with the bath water to get rid of good useful parts of a system, organization etc when you are changing it in order to try and make it better
⇨ throw in/cast your lot with somebody at ↑ lot 2 (8)
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ throw to make something such as a ball or stone move quickly through the air using your hand:
I threw the ball back to him.
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Protestors began throwing stones at the police.
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I just threw the letter in the bin.
▪ toss ( also chuck ) informal to throw something, especially in a careless way without using much effort:
She tossed her coat onto the bed.
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Can you chuck me the remote control?
▪ hurl to throw something with a lot of force:
Someone hurled a brick through his window.
▪ fling to angrily throw something somewhere with a lot of force, or to carelessly throw something somewhere because you have very little time:
He flung her keys into the river.
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I flung a few things into a suitcase.
▪ heave /hiːv/ to throw something heavy using a lot of effort:
They heaved the log into the river.
▪ lob to throw something high into the air over someone or something:
The police lobbed tear gas canisters over the heads of the demonstrators.
■ to throw a ball in a sport
▪ pass to throw the ball to another member of your team:
He passed the ball to Wilkinson, who kicked the ball over the goalposts.
▪ pitch to throw the ball to the batter in a game of baseball:
Stoddard pitched for the Chicago White Sox.
▪ bowl to throw the ball towards the person who is batting in a game of cricket:
Harmison bowled superbly and took 5 wickets.
throw something ↔ away phrasal verb
1 . to get rid of something that you do not want or need:
I never throw clothes away.
I shouldn’t have thrown away the receipt.
2 . to spend money in a way that is not sensible:
I can’t afford to throw money away.
3 . to waste something good that you have, for example a skill or an opportunity:
This could be the best chance you’ll ever have. Don’t throw it away!
throw something ↔ in phrasal verb
1 . to add something to what you are selling, without increasing the price:
We paid $2000 for the boat, with the trailer and spares thrown in.
2 . if you throw in a remark, you say it suddenly without thinking carefully:
She threw in a couple of odd remarks about men.
3 . throw in the sponge/towel informal to admit that you have been defeated
throw somebody/something ↔ off phrasal verb
1 . to take off a piece of clothing in a quick careless way:
They threw off their clothes and dived in.
2 . to get free from something that has been limiting your freedom:
In 1845, they finally threw off the yoke of foreign rule.
3 . if you throw off an illness, you get better from it:
It’s taken me ages to throw off this cold.
4 . to escape from someone or something that is chasing you:
We ran flat out for about half a mile before we could throw them off.
5 . to produce large amounts of heat or light:
The engine was throwing off so much heat that the air above it shimmered with haze.
throw something ↔ on phrasal verb
to put on a piece of clothing quickly and carelessly:
I threw on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt.
throw somebody/something ↔ out phrasal verb
1 . to get rid of something that you do not want or need:
We usually throw out all our old magazines.
2 . to make someone leave a place, school, or organization, especially because they have done something that is against the rules:
Nick got thrown out of college in the second year for taking drugs.
I knew he would never throw us out on the street (=make us leave our home when we have nowhere else to live) .
3 . if people throw out a plan or suggestion, they refuse to accept it:
The idea was thrown out by the committee.
The bill was thrown out by the Senate.
4 . if something throws out smoke, heat, dust etc, it produces a lot of it and fills the air with it:
huge trucks throwing out noxious fumes from their exhausts
throw somebody ↔ over phrasal verb
old-fashioned to end a romantic relationship with someone
throw somebody/something ↔ together phrasal verb
1 . to make something such as a meal quickly and not very carefully:
There’s lots of food in the fridge – I’m sure I can throw something together.
2 . if a situation throws people together, it makes them meet and know each other:
It was the war that had thrown them together.
throw up phrasal verb
1 . to bring food or drink up from your stomach out through your mouth because you are ill SYN vomit :
Georgia was bent over the basin, throwing up.
2 . throw something ↔ up British English to produce problems, ideas, results etc:
The arrangement may throw up problems in other areas.
3 . throw something ↔ up if a vehicle, runner etc throws up dust, water etc as they move along, they make it rise into the air
4 . throw something ↔ up British English informal to suddenly leave your job, your home etc:
I can’t just throw everything up and come and live with you.
5 . throw something ↔ up British English to build something quickly:
new houses hastily thrown up by developers
II. throw 2 BrE AmE noun [countable]
1 . an action in which someone throws something:
That was a great throw!
a throw of over 80 metres
2 . an action in which someone rolls a ↑ dice in a game:
It’s your throw
3 . a large piece of cloth that you put loosely over a chair to cover it and make it look attractive:
a brightly-coloured cotton throw