throw off

verb

threw off; thrown off; throwing off; throws off

transitive verb

1

a

: to free oneself from : get rid of

threw off his inhibitions

b

: to cast off often in a hurried or vigorous manner : abandon

threw off all restraint

c

: distract, divert

dogs thrown off by a false scent

2

: emit, give off

stacks throwing off plumes of smoke

3

: to produce in an offhand manner : execute with speed or facility

some little … tune that the composer had thrown off

—James Hilton

4

a

: to cause to depart from an expected or desired course

mistakes threw his calculations off a bit

b

: to cause to make a mistake : mislead

5

: earn, generate

an investment that throws off a sizable income

intransitive verb

1

: to begin hunting

2

: to make derogatory comments

Synonyms

• abstract
• call off
• detract
• distract
• divert

Examples of throw off in a Sentence

the sudden noise just threw me off completely, and I missed my shot

Recent Examples on the Web

Jet lag, the traveler’s bane of existence, can throw off your entire trip. —Judy Koutsky, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024

When staying in a hotel, these routines may be interrupted and can throw off your body’s preparation for sleep. —Anita Bhagwandas, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Oct. 2024

Even an hour change on the clock can throw off sleep schedules — because even though the clocks change, work and school start times stay the same. —Associated Press, TIME, 27 Oct. 2024

But research shows that artificial light, particularly LED lights rich in the same blue wavelengths as moonlight, can throw off this intricate dance and trigger corals in the same locations to spawn at different times. —Brian Handwerk, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1b

Kids Definition

throw off

verb

: to send out : emit

a sparkler throws off sparks