# toss

/ˈtɔs/ (US) · /tˈɒs/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/toss
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. to throw lightly

verb · CEFR B1

to throw something lightly or carelessly, often with an upward motion.

For teachers: to throw something with a light, casual, or careless motion, typically using an underhand or upward trajectory.

- He tossed the car keys to her across the kitchen table.
- She tossed the crumpled draft into the wastepaper basket without a second thought, frustrated by her lack of progress.

### 2. to flip a coin

verb · CEFR B1

to throw a coin into the air to make a decision based on which side lands up.

For teachers: to flip a coin into the air to decide a matter by chance or to determine the start of a sporting event.

- Let's toss a coin to see who has to wash the dishes tonight.
- The referee gathered the two captains in the centre of the pitch to toss the coin and determine which side would kick off.

### 3. to mix food

verb · CEFR B1

to mix food, like a salad or pasta, by moving it around lightly.

For teachers: to mix ingredients lightly by lifting and dropping them repeatedly, ensuring an even coating of dressing or sauce.

- Toss the salad with some olive oil and lemon juice before serving.
- The chef instructed the apprentice to toss the pasta gently in the pan to ensure every strand was coated in the garlic butter.

### 4. to move restlessly

verb · CEFR B2

to move around a lot in bed because you cannot sleep.

For teachers: to move restlessly or turbulently; frequently used in the phrase 'toss and turn' regarding sleep.

- I spent the whole night tossing and turning because of the heat.
- The small boat began to toss violently as the storm moved in from the Atlantic, making the passengers feel quite uneasy.

### 5. to search a room

verb · CEFR C1 · Informal

to search a place quickly and roughly, often leaving it messy.

For teachers: to search a room or building thoroughly and often destructively, typically in the context of a police raid or a burglary.

- The burglars tossed the entire apartment looking for hidden jewellery.
- The detectives had clearly tossed the suspect's office, leaving filing cabinets open and papers scattered across the floor.

### 6. a light throw

noun · CEFR B1

the act of throwing something lightly.

For teachers: an instance of throwing something with a light or casual motion.

- With a quick toss, he sent the ball over the fence to the children.
- A casual toss of the bouquet followed the ceremony, with several guests scrambling to catch the flowers.

### 7. nonsense

noun · CEFR C2 · British English · Slang

something that is rubbish or total nonsense.

For teachers: a term for nonsense or something of very poor quality.

- Don't listen to him; he's talking absolute toss.
- The critics dismissed the new play as complete toss, citing the weak dialogue and predictable plot as its main failings.

## Examples

- He decided to toss the keys to his brother.
- She didn't have time to fold the laundry, so she just had to toss the clothes into the basket.
- Before starting the meeting, the manager would habitually toss a stress ball against the wall while organizing his thoughts for the presentation.

---

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.