throw shade
idiomatic phrase
informal
: to publicly express contempt or disrespect for someone or something especially in an indirect or subtle way : criticize
… answered a question to the media that seemed to throw shade at his former teammate …—
Farbod Esnaashari
Farbod Esnaashari… was accused of throwing shade at the singer in a now-deleted TikTok [video].—Leyla Mohammed
Leyla MohammedWhen the vendor typed "excuse me," my friend assumed the vendor was throwing major shade his way …—Jennifer Silverman
Jennifer Silverman… haters took to the comment section and threw major shade at the star …—Julia Teti
Julia TetiExamples of throw shade in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
But Pittman fears the Florida connection will only throw shade on the Sunshine State.
—Jeffrey Schweers, Orlando Sentinel, 17 Nov. 2024
On top of that, James also threw shade at the rest of the league for missing out on Knecht.
—Ricardo Klein, Newsweek, 20 Nov. 2024
Eight years later, former President Donald Trump is trying to retake the White House by doing the same thing - and expanding his target list by throwing shade at luminaries like Abraham Lincoln and George Washington.
—David Jackson, USA TODAY, 3 Nov. 2024
The two would continue to throw shade back and forth in the years that followed.
—Stephanie Sengwe, People.com, 30 Oct. 2024
Not endorsing her is the surprise move that throws shade on her, shade that could harm her in wobblier states.
—Karin Klein, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Oct. 2024
Derek Hough will not stand for guest judges throwing shade at the Dancing With the Stars contestants.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 16 Oct. 2024
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Jeffrey Schweers, Orlando Sentinel, 17 Nov. 2024
On top of that, James also threw shade at the rest of the league for missing out on Knecht.
—Ricardo Klein, Newsweek, 20 Nov. 2024
Eight years later, former President Donald Trump is trying to retake the White House by doing the same thing - and expanding his target list by throwing shade at luminaries like Abraham Lincoln and George Washington.
—David Jackson, USA TODAY, 3 Nov. 2024
The two would continue to throw shade back and forth in the years that followed.
—Stephanie Sengwe, People.com, 30 Oct. 2024
Not endorsing her is the surprise move that throws shade on her, shade that could harm her in wobblier states.
—Karin Klein, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Oct. 2024
Derek Hough will not stand for guest judges throwing shade at the Dancing With the Stars contestants.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 16 Oct. 2024
Articles Related to throw shade
Dictionary Entries Near throw shade
Cite this Entry
“Throw shade.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/throw%20shade. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share