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

Going from zero to 100 will probably throw off your digestion in the short term, but rest assured that your body will adjust—and just be prepared to play a less-than-pleasant waiting game in the meantime. —Caroline Tien, SELF, 7 Feb. 2025

Several riders were thrown off by their horses, and the other riders jumped off, police said. —Ryan Ballogg, Miami Herald, 3 Feb. 2025

The suit stemmed from 2020, when Trump was temporarily thrown off Facebook (and other social media) after the Jan. 6 insurrection when a group of his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol. —Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 29 Jan. 2025

But with one of the biggest superstars on the planet in the crowd watching the field, Hill admitted her concentration was thrown off. —Skyler Caruso, People.com, 20 Jan. 2025

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