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Richard SennettHarvey BreitSynonyms
throw,cast,toss,fling,hurl,pitch,sling mean to cause to move swiftly through space by a propulsive movement or a propelling force.
throw is general and interchangeable with the other terms but may specifically imply a distinctive motion with bent arm.
cast usually implies lightness in the thing thrown and sometimes a scattering.
toss suggests a light or careless or aimless throwing and may imply an upward motion.
fling stresses a violent throwing.
hurl implies power as in throwing a massive weight.
pitch suggests throwing carefully at a target.
sling stresses either the use of whirling momentum in throwing or directness of aim.
Examples ofthrow in a Sentence
Glenn Garner,Deadline, 30 Mar. 2025The slower a pitcherthrows, the finer the margins of success.—Daniel R. Epstein,Forbes.com, 30 Mar. 2025Bryan Alexander,USA TODAY, 28 Feb. 2025Located just a stiletto’sthrowfrom Rodeo Drive, the hotel’s Terrace Tea Room marries English garden sensibilities with Hollywood glamour.—Ritu Upadhyay,WWD, 28 Feb. 2025See All Example Sentences forthrowWord History
Verb
Middle Englishthrowen "to propel through the air, cause to fall, drive forcefully, turn on a lathe," going back to Old Englishþrāwan "to twist, wring, (intransitive) turn round, writhe, curl," going back to West Germanic*þrēan- (whence also Old Frisiandrāia "to turn," Old Saxonthrāian "to cause to rotate, turn on a lathe," Middle Dutchdraeyen "to turn," Old High Germandrâen "to turn, twist"), probably going back to Indo-European*treh1- "rub, bore," whence in Germanic "bore through with a turning motion, turn"
Note: Old Englishþrāwan is a Class VII strong verb, unlike its cognates elsewhere in West Germanic, which are conjugated as a weak verb (excepting a vestigial Middle Dutch preteritdrieu). (Certain evidence for the verb in North Germanic and Gothic is lacking.) In Modern English, outside of Scots and dialects of northern England, the predominant sense is "propel through the air," from which a profusion of derivative senses began to develop already in Middle English. (Comparewarpentry 2.) — The Indo-European base*treh1- that would appear to underly the Germanic etymon has been compared with the homonymous base of Greektetraínō, tetraínein "to bore through, perforate" (aoristétrēsa),trētós "perforated, pierced" (from zero-grade*tr̥h1-tó-),trêma "aperture, hole" (seetrematode), from a presumed connection of turning or twisting to boring a hole. This manifestation of*treh1- is generally regarded as a variant of*terh1- rub, bore" evident in Greekteírein "to wear down, exhaust,"téretron "auger,"terēdṓn "woodworm" (seeteredo), Latinterere "to rub" and verbs in Slavic and Baltic (seetrite).
Noun
derivative ofthrowentry 1
Verb
14th century, in the meaning defined attransitive sense 1a
Noun
1530, in the meaning defined atsense 1a
Phrases Containingthrow
- a stone's throw
- a stone's throw away
- a throw
- cast/shed/throw light on
- cast/throw doubt on
- cast/throw pearls before swine
- free throw
- free throw lane
- hammer throw
- have/throw/pitch a tantrum
- javelin throw
- people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones
- put/roll/throw out the welcome mat
- put/throw a spanner in the works
- put/throw one's weight/influence behind
- sling/throw mud
- stone's throw
- throw a block
- throw a fit
- throw away
- throw a wobbly
- throw a wrench into the works
- throw back
- throw/bring into question
- throw down
- throw down the gauntlet
- throw/fling/cast caution to the wind
- throw/hurl/toss a monkey wrench into
- throw in
- throw in (at) the deep end
- throw in one's lot with
- throw in the sponge
- throw in the towel
- throw into disorder
- throw/knock (someone) off (his/her) stride
- throw money around
- throw off
- throw on
- throw oneself at (someone)
- throw oneself into
- throw oneself on the mercy of (someone)
- throw one's hands up (in the air)
- throw out
- throw out the baby with the bathwater
- throw over
- throw pillow
- throw punches
- throw rug
- throw shade
- throw (someone) a bone
- throw (someone) a curve/curveball
- throw (someone) a kiss
- throw (someone) for a loop
- throw (someone) for a loss
- throw (someone) under the bus
- throw (something) out the window
- throw the book at
- throw/toss one's hat in/into the ring
- throw up
- throw up one's hands
- throw weight
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Cite this Entry
“Throw.”Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/throw. Accessed 3 Apr. 2025.
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throw
1 of 2verbthrow
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