# throw

/ˈθɹoʊ/ (US) · /θɹˈəʊ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/throw
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. to hurl through the air

verb · CEFR A2

to use your hand and arm to send something through the air.

For teachers: to propel an object through the air by a rapid motion of the arm and hand.

- The boy tried to throw the ball to his friend, but it landed in the bushes.
- The athlete managed to throw the javelin further than any of his competitors during the final round of the championship.

### 2. to organize a party

verb · CEFR B1 · Informal

to plan and hold a party or a social event.

For teachers: to organize and host a social gathering or celebration.

- We are going to throw a surprise party for my sister's birthday next week.
- The company decided to throw a lavish gala to celebrate its fiftieth anniversary and thank its long-term investors.

### 3. to confuse

verb · CEFR B2 · Informal

to make someone feel surprised or confused so they do not know what to do.

For teachers: to cause someone to become confused, disconcerted, or momentarily unable to respond.

- The difficult question at the end of the interview really threw me.
- The sudden change in the project's requirements threw the entire development team, forcing them to rethink their strategy.

### 4. to lose intentionally

verb · CEFR C1 · Informal

to lose a game or a race on purpose, usually for a dishonest reason.

For teachers: to lose a contest or competition intentionally, often for personal gain or as part of a gambling scheme.

- The boxer was accused of trying to throw the fight for money.
- Investigators looked into allegations that the team had been bribed to throw the match in the final minutes of play.

### 5. to signal an error

verb · CEFR C1 · Technical

to send a signal that something has gone wrong in a computer program.

For teachers: to signal the occurrence of an exception or error during the execution of a program to an exception-handling routine.

- The system will throw an error if you try to enter a password that is too short.
- The function is designed to throw an exception if the database connection fails, ensuring the application does not crash unexpectedly.

### 6. the act of throwing

noun · CEFR A2

the action of sending something through the air with your hand.

For teachers: the act or instance of propelling something through the air.

- That was a great throw; the ball went exactly where you wanted it to.
- The quarterback's final throw was a masterpiece of precision, landing perfectly in the receiver's hands despite the heavy defensive pressure.

### 7. a small blanket

noun · CEFR B1

a small, decorative blanket that you put over a chair or sofa.

For teachers: a light coverlet or decorative textile used to drape over furniture.

- She draped a blue throw over the back of the sofa to make the room look cozy.
- The interior designer suggested adding a cashmere throw to the armchair to introduce a different texture to the living space.

## Examples

- That was a great throw.
- The quarterback made a perfect throw to the end zone just as the clock ran out.
- The athlete's record-breaking throw was the result of years spent perfecting the precise coordination of hip rotation and arm extension.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.