as in distracted
to draw the attention or mind to something else
the sudden noise just threw me off completely, and I missed my shot
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Recent Examples of threw off
Two hours before Thursday night’s Cactus League game, Snell threw off the mound in front of a group of reporters and fans at Camelback Ranch.
—
Jack Vita, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2026
That threw off the Dolphins offense to the point, even now, offensive coordinator Dave Shula remembers not adjusting quickly enough.
—Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 5 Feb. 2026
In the five decades since Portugal threw off its fascist dictatorship, a presidential election has only once before — in 1986 — required a runoff, highlighting how fragmented the political landscape has become with the rise of the far-right and voter disenchantment with mainstream parties.
—Reuters, NBC news, 18 Jan. 2026
That quick interior pressure threw off the timing of an offense that requires it.
—Colton Pouncy, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2026
That did not happen in my house, where the workdays were long, everyone’s calendars were packed and a bad cold threw off our schedule for a week.
—Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 3 Nov. 2025
Jack Vita, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2026
That threw off the Dolphins offense to the point, even now, offensive coordinator Dave Shula remembers not adjusting quickly enough.
—Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 5 Feb. 2026
In the five decades since Portugal threw off its fascist dictatorship, a presidential election has only once before — in 1986 — required a runoff, highlighting how fragmented the political landscape has become with the rise of the far-right and voter disenchantment with mainstream parties.
—Reuters, NBC news, 18 Jan. 2026
That quick interior pressure threw off the timing of an offense that requires it.
—Colton Pouncy, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2026
That did not happen in my house, where the workdays were long, everyone’s calendars were packed and a bad cold threw off our schedule for a week.
—Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 3 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for threw off
Verb
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If the vehicle detects that the driver is distracted or sleeping when the program is on, the vehicle will come to a complete stop and call emergency services.—
Morgan Korn,
ABC News,
15 Mar. 2026
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Teachers distracted children with songs As the attack unfolded, staff members and teachers at the temple’s pre-K scrambled for safety.—
Nouran Salahieh,
CNN Money,
14 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Between late April 2025 and mid-May 2025 alone, at least $510 million worth of Supermicro's servers assembled in the United States, were diverted to China, according to the indictment.—
Aaron Katersky,
ABC News,
20 Mar. 2026
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Europe is particularly attuned to how the conflict has diverted the White House’s attention from Russia’s war in Ukraine.—
Morgan Chalfant,
semafor.com,
19 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Threw off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/threw%20off. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
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