Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English - throw

~1 v past threw past participle thrown 1 »THROW A BALL/STONE ETC« to make an object such as a ball move quickly through the air by moving your hand quickly  (throw sth at/to/towards etc)  (Someone threw a stone at the car. | Cromartie throws the ball back to the pitcher. | throw sb sth)  (Throw me that towel, would you.) 2 »PUT STH CARELESSLY« T always + adv/prep to put something somewhere quickly and carelessly  (throw sth on/onto/down etc)  (Don't just throw your clothes on the floor - pick them up!) 3 »PUSH ROUGHLY/VIOLENTLY« T always + adv/prep to push someone or something roughly and violently in a particular direction or into a particular position  (throw sth open)  (Smelling smoke, she threw open all the windows. | throw sb into the air)  (Patrick was thrown into the air by the force of the explosion. | throw sb to the ground)  (The guards threw Biko to the ground and started kicking him.) 4 »MAKE SB FALL« a) to make your opponent fall to the ground in wrestling or judo b) if a horse throws its rider it makes them fall onto the ground 5 throw yourself at/on/into/down etc to move or jump somewhere suddenly and with a lot of force  (I managed to open the door by throwing myself at it.) 6 »MOVE HANDS/HEAD ETC« T always + adv/prep to suddenly and quickly move your hands, arms, head etc into a new position  (throw sth back/up/around etc)  (I threw my arms around her and kissed her.) 7 throw sb into prison/jail to suddenly put someone in prison  (Anyone who opposes the regime is liable to be thrown in jail.) 8 throw sb out of work/office etc to suddenly take away someone's job or position in authority  (Nixon was thrown out of office, following the Watergate scandal.) 9 throw sb into confusion/chaos/disarray etc to suddenly make a group of people very confused and uncertain about what they should do  (Everyone was thrown into confusion by this news.) 10 »CONFUSE SB« to confuse or shock someone, especially by suddenly saying something  (throw sb completely)  (This handsome young stranger said "Hello, Maria," - it threw me completely.) 11 be thrown back on to be forced to have to depend on your own skills, knowledge etc  (Once again we were thrown back on our own resources.) 12 throw suspicion/doubt on to make people think that someone is probably guilty or that something may not be true  (new discoveries that throw doubt on some basic scientific assumptions.) 13 throw sb a look/glance/smile etc to quickly look at someone with a particular expression that shows how you are feeling 14 throw a fit/scene/tantrum etc to react in a very angry way  (I can't tell my parents - they'd throw a fit!) 15 throw questions/a remark to ask a lot of questions or suddenly say something  (They kept throwing awkward questions at me.) 16 throw a switch/handle/lever to make a large machine or piece of electrical equipment start or stop working by moving a switch2 (1) 17 throw a party to organize a party and invite people 18 throw yourself into sth to start doing an activity eagerly and using a lot of time and effort  (Since her husband died, she's thrown herself into her work.) 19 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.) 20 throw money at informal to try to solve a problem by spending a lot of money but without really thinking about the problem 21 throw good money after bad/throw money down the drain to waste money by spending it on something that has already failed 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 to publicly 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 cold water on to say that a plan, suggestion etc is unlikely to succeed 25 throw light on to make something easier to understand by providing new information  (Startling revelations that throw new light on Elvis, the man.) 26 throw a light/shadows/rays to make light, shadows etc fall on a particular place  (The trees threw long, dark shadows across the cornfield.) 27 throw the book at informal to punish someone as severely as possible or charge them with as many offences as possible 28 throw caution to the wind (s) to ignore the risks and deliberately behave in a way that may cause trouble or problems 29 »DELIBERATELY LOSE« to deliberately lose a fight or sports game that you could have won 30 throw sth (back) in sb's face to be unkind to someone after they have been kind to you or helped you 31 throw a punch/a left/a right etc to try to hit someone with your hand in a fight 32 throw yourself at sb informal to try very hard to attract someone's attention because you want to have a sexual relationship with them 33 throw your hat into the ring to officially announce that you will compete or take part in something 34 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 35 »POT« to make a clay object such as a bowl, using a potter's wheel 36 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  (- see also be thrown in at the deep end deep1 (16)) throw sth away phr v 1 to get rid of something that you do not want or need  (I shouldn't have thrown away the receipt.) 2 to lose or 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 in sth phr v 1 (throw something in) 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 (throw something in) if you throw in a remark, you say it suddenly without thinking carefully 3 throw in the sponge/towel informal to admit that you have been defeated throw sb/sth off phr v 1 (throw something off) to take off a piece of clothing in a quick, careless way  (He threw off his sweater.) 2 (throw something off) to get free from something that has been limiting your freedom  (In 1845 they finally threw off the yoke of foreign rule.) 3 (throw something off) if you throw off a slight illness such as a cold2 (2), you succeed in getting better 4 (throw someone/something off) to escape from someone or something that is chasing you  (throw sb off the scent (=make someone who is following you unable to find where you have gone))  (If we cross the stream it might throw them off the scent.) 5 (throw something off) to produce large amounts of heat, light, radiation etc  (The engine was throwing off so much heat that the air above it shimmered with haze.) throw sth on phr v to put on a piece of clothing quickly and carelessly throw sth open phr v 1 to allow people to go into a place that is usually kept private  (plans to throw the Palace open to the public) 2 to allow anyone to take part in a competition or a discussion throw sb/sth out phr v 1 (throw something out) to get rid of something that you do not want or need, especially when you are tidying  (We usually throw out all our old magazines.) 2 (throw someone out) to make someone leave a place, school, or organization etc quickly, especially because they have been behaving badly or made you angry  (Nick got thrown out of college in the second year for taking drugs. | throw sb out on the street (=make someone leave their house immediately, even if they have nowhere else to live)) 3 (throw something out) if parliament or another official or political organization throws out a plan or suggestion, they refuse to accept it and make it legal, especially after voting  (The bill was thrown out by the Senate.) 4 (throw something out) 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 sb over phr v old-fashioned to end a romantic relationship with someone throw sb/sth together phr v 1 (throw something together) 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 (throw someone together) if a situation throws people together, it makes them meet and know each other throw up phr v to bring food or drink up from your stomach out through your mouth because you are ill or drunk etc; vomit1  (Georgia was bent over the basin, throwing up.)  (- see sick1) ~2 n 1 an act of throwing something such as a ball  (The throw went straight to Marinelli on first base.) 2 the distance which something is thrown  (a throw of over eighty metres) 3 the result of throwing something in a game such as darts dart2 (2) or dice1 (1) 4 -5/-10/50p etc a throw BrE informal -5, -10 etc each