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throw

/θroʊ/

/θrəʊ/

Other forms: threw; throwing; throws

When you throw a ball, you toss it using your hand. When you throw a party, you buy some food and drinks, then invite your friends over.

Throw means many things. You can throw a baseball game, even if you're not the pitcher, by deliberately trying to lose it. You can throw a baby off its schedule — that is, confuse the baby's waking and sleeping times. In basketball, when you get fouled and throw the ball from the free-throw line, you're taking a free throw. You can throw garbage out. Also, a throw is a small blanket you toss over a chair, much like a throw pillow.

Definitions of throw
  1. verb
    propel through the air
    throw a frisbee”
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    types:
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    flap down, slam
    throw violently
    ground
    throw to the ground in order to stop play and avoid being tackled behind the line of scrimmage
    prostrate
    throw down flat, as on the ground
    cast, hurl, hurtle
    throw forcefully
    heave
    throw with great effort
    bombard, pelt
    cast, hurl, or throw repeatedly with some missile
    defenestrate
    throw through or out of a window
    deliver, pitch
    throw or hurl from the mound to the batter, as in baseball
    shy
    throw quickly
    drive
    cause to move rapidly by striking or throwing with force
    deep-six, throw overboard
    throw from a boat
    ridge
    throw soil toward (a crop row) from both sides
    jettison
    throw as from an airplane
    fling
    throw with force or recklessness
    lob
    propel in a high arc
    chuck, toss
    throw carelessly
    skim, skip, skitter
    cause to skip over a surface
    juggle
    throw, catch, and keep in the air several things simultaneously
    flick, flip
    cause to move with a flick
    pass
    throw (a ball) to another player
    lapidate
    throw stones at
    crash, dash
    hurl or thrust violently
    precipitate
    hurl or throw violently
    snowball
    throw snowballs at
    egg
    throw eggs at
    flip, pitch, sky, toss
    throw or toss with a light motion
    catapult, sling
    hurl as if with a sling
    bowl
    hurl a cricket ball from one end of the pitch towards the batsman at the other end
    type of:
    impel, propel
    cause to move forward with force
  2. verb
    cause to fall off
    “The horse threw its inexperienced rider”
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    type of:
    bump, dislodge
    remove or force from a position of dwelling previously occupied
  3. verb
    move violently, energetically, or carelessly
    “She threw herself forwards”
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    type of:
    move
    move so as to change position, perform a nontranslational motion
  4. verb
    place or put with great energy
    “She threw the blanket around the child”
    synonyms: thrust
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    types:
    pop
    put or thrust suddenly and forcefully
    type of:
    lay, place, pose, position, put, set
    put into a certain place or abstract location
  5. verb
    cause to go on or to be engaged or set in operation
    throw the lever”
    synonyms: flip, switch
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    types:
    switch on, turn on
    cause to operate by flipping a switch
    cut, switch off, turn off, turn out
    cause to stop operating by disengaging a switch
    kill
    cause to cease operating
    type of:
    engage, lock, mesh, operate
    keep engaged
  6. noun
    the act of throwing (propelling something with a rapid movement of the arm and wrist)
    “the catcher made a good throw to second base”
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    bowling
    (cricket) the act of delivering a cricket ball to the batsman
    fling
    the act of flinging
    heave, heaving
    throwing something heavy (with great effort)
    cast, hurl
    a violent throw
    leaner
    (horseshoes) the throw of a horseshoe so as to lean against (but not encircle) the stake
    flip, pass, toss
    (sports) the act of throwing the ball to another member of your team
    pitch
    the action or manner of throwing something
    delivery, pitch
    (baseball) the act of throwing a baseball by a pitcher to a batter
    ringer
    (horseshoes) the successful throw of a horseshoe or quoit so as to encircle a stake or peg
    shy
    a quick throw
    slinging
    throwing with a wide motion (as if with a sling)
    throw-in
    (rugby) an act or instance of throwing a ball in to put it into play
    flip
    a sudden, quick movement
    balk
    an illegal pitching motion while runners are on base
    ball
    a pitch that is not in the strike zone
    beanball, beaner
    a baseball deliberately thrown at the batter's head
    change-of-pace, change-of-pace ball, change-up, off-speed pitch
    a baseball thrown with little velocity when the batter is expecting a fastball
    bender, breaking ball, curve, curve ball
    a pitch of a baseball that is thrown with spin so that its path curves as it approaches the batter
    duster
    a pitch thrown deliberately close to the batter
    bullet, fastball, heater, hummer, smoke
    (baseball) a pitch thrown with maximum velocity
    knuckleball, knuckler
    a baseball pitch thrown with little speed or spin
    overhand pitch
    a baseball pitch in which the hand moves above the shoulder
    passed ball
    a pitch that the catcher should have caught but did not; allows a base runner to advance a base
    screwball
    a pitch with reverse spin that curves toward the side of the plate from which it was thrown
    sinker
    a pitch that curves downward rapidly as it approaches the plate
    spitball, spitter
    an illegal pitch in which a foreign substance (spit or Vaseline) is applied to the ball by the pitcher before he throws it
    strike
    (baseball) a pitch that the batter swings at and misses, or that the batter hits into foul territory, or that the batter does not swing at but the umpire judges to be in the area over home plate and between the batter's knees and shoulders
    submarine ball, submarine pitch
    a pitch thrown sidearm instead of overhead
    wild pitch
    an errant pitch that the catcher cannot be expected to catch and that allows a base runner to advance a base
    centering, hike, snap
    (American football) putting the ball in play by passing it (between the legs) to a back
    Chinaman
    a ball bowled by a left-handed bowler to a right-handed batsman that spins from off to leg
    bosie, bosie ball, googly, wrong 'un
    a cricket ball bowled as if to break one way that actually breaks in the opposite way
    no ball
    unlawfully delivered ball in cricket
    type of:
    actuation, propulsion
    the act of propelling
  7. noun
    bedclothes consisting of a lightweight cloth covering (an afghan or bedspread) that is casually thrown over something
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    type of:
    bed clothing, bedclothes, bedding
    coverings that are used on a bed
  8. noun
    the maximum movement available to a pivoted or reciprocating piece by a cam
    synonyms: cam stroke, stroke
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    types:
    instroke
    the stroke of an engine piston moving away from the crankshaft
    outstroke
    the stroke of an engine piston moving toward the crankshaft
    type of:
    motion, movement
    a natural event that involves a change in the position or location of something
  9. verb
    throw (a die) out onto a flat surface
    Throw a six”
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    types:
    shoot
    throw dice, as in a crap game
    type of:
    release, turn
    let (something) fall or spill from a container
  10. noun
    casting an object in order to determine an outcome randomly
    “he risked his fortune on a throw of the dice”
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    types:
    cast, roll
    the act of throwing dice
    flip, toss
    the act of flipping a coin
    natural
    (craps) a first roll of 7 or 11 that immediately wins the stake
    type of:
    gambling, gaming, play
    the act of playing for stakes in the hope of winning (including the payment of a price for a chance to win a prize)
  11. noun
    a single chance or instance
    “he couldn't afford $50 a throw
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    type of:
    chance, opportunity
    a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances
  12. verb
    to put into a state or activity hastily, suddenly, or carelessly
    “Jane threw dinner together”
    throw the car into reverse”
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    type of:
    lay, place, pose, position, put, set
    put into a certain place or abstract location
  13. verb
    be confusing or perplexing to; cause to be unable to think clearly
    “This question completely threw me”
    synonyms: bedevil, befuddle, confound, confuse, discombobulate, fox, fuddle
    confuse, disconcert, flurry, put off
    cause to feel embarrassment
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    demoralise, demoralize
    confuse or put into disorder
    amaze, baffle, beat, bewilder, dumbfound, flummox, get, gravel, mystify, nonplus, perplex, pose, puzzle, stick, stupefy, vex
    be a mystery or bewildering to
    disorient, disorientate
    cause to be lost or disoriented
    mix up, stump
    cause to be perplexed or confounded
    riddle
    set a difficult problem or riddle
    elude, escape
    be incomprehensible to; escape understanding by
    type of:
    be
    have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun)
  14. verb
    cause to be confused emotionally
    synonyms: bemuse, bewilder, discombobulate
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    type of:
    discomfit, discompose, disconcert, rattle, untune, upset
    cause to lose one's composure
  15. verb
    put or send forth
    “She threw the flashlight beam into the corner”
    “The setting sun threw long shadows”
    synonyms: cast, contrive, project
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    types:
    shoot
    send forth suddenly, intensely, swiftly
    type of:
    direct, send
    cause to go somewhere
  16. verb
    convey or communicate; of a smile, a look, a physical gesture
    Throw a glance”
    synonyms: give
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    type of:
    communicate, intercommunicate
    transmit thoughts or feelings
  17. verb
    utter with force; utter vehemently
    throw accusations at someone”
    synonyms: hurl
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    type of:
    express, give tongue to, utter, verbalise, verbalize
    articulate; either verbally or with a cry, shout, or noise
  18. verb
    organize or be responsible for
    synonyms: give, have, hold, make
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    type of:
    direct
    be in charge of
  19. verb
    make on a potter's wheel
    “she threw a beautiful teapot”
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    type of:
    forge, form, mold, mould, shape, work
    make something, usually for a specific function
  20. verb
    get rid of
    synonyms: cast, cast off, drop, shake off, shed, throw away, throw off
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    types:
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    exuviate, molt, moult, shed, slough
    cast off hair, skin, horn, or feathers
    abscise
    shed flowers and leaves and fruit following formation of a scar tissue
    exfoliate
    cast off in scales, laminae, or splinters
    autotomise, autotomize
    cause a body part to undergo autotomy
    desquamate, peel off
    peel off in scales
    type of:
    remove, take, take away, withdraw
    remove something concrete, as by lifting, pushing, or taking off, or remove something abstract
Pronunciation
US

/θroʊ/

UK

/θrəʊ/

DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘throw'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
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