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 thrown off
He’s thrown off, however, when Nora loses her cool at the discovery that their young, feisty daughter Ida (Tawba El Gharchi) has posted a video on social media of the trio dancing in the livestock stable.
—
Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 22 May 2026
Becca is obviously very confused, and thrown off by the course of the past 24 hours.
—Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 22 May 2026
Finals schedules were thrown off at the University of Minnesota campus.
—Jeff Wagner, CBS News, 8 May 2026
Uber, in a court filing seeking to have Grimes thrown off the case, said the San Francisco attorney had also misbehaved earlier.
—Ethan Baron, Mercury News, 8 May 2026
Someone with lower self-efficacy might be thrown off their routine if presented with the same obstacles.
—Laura Baehr, The Conversation, 7 May 2026
Richard got thrown off a stage; Mal as well.
—Matt Thompson, SPIN, 4 May 2026
Without full accounting, required financial statements, annual audits, budget tracking and forecasting are thrown off and libraries risk spending money that’s supposed to be dedicated to pensions on building maintenance, Franco said.
—A.d. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 26 Apr. 2026
Because the images rotate at a screen-saver pace, my advice would be to focus on the preparatory drawings and cartoons, which are like sparks thrown off some great, beautiful machine.
—Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 22 May 2026
Becca is obviously very confused, and thrown off by the course of the past 24 hours.
—Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 22 May 2026
Finals schedules were thrown off at the University of Minnesota campus.
—Jeff Wagner, CBS News, 8 May 2026
Uber, in a court filing seeking to have Grimes thrown off the case, said the San Francisco attorney had also misbehaved earlier.
—Ethan Baron, Mercury News, 8 May 2026
Someone with lower self-efficacy might be thrown off their routine if presented with the same obstacles.
—Laura Baehr, The Conversation, 7 May 2026
Richard got thrown off a stage; Mal as well.
—Matt Thompson, SPIN, 4 May 2026
Without full accounting, required financial statements, annual audits, budget tracking and forecasting are thrown off and libraries risk spending money that’s supposed to be dedicated to pensions on building maintenance, Franco said.
—A.d. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 26 Apr. 2026
Because the images rotate at a screen-saver pace, my advice would be to focus on the preparatory drawings and cartoons, which are like sparks thrown off some great, beautiful machine.
—Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for thrown off
Verb
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Fennell said she is frequently distracted by female characters adhering to modern grooming standards — like clean-shaven armpits — in period pieces like Jane Austen adaptations.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
23 May 2026
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This moon phase puts pressure on your love life, creativity or personal passions, especially if you've been emotionally distracted by money worries or self-worth issues.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
22 May 2026
Verb
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Instead of remitting those taxes to the IRS, prosecutors alleged Kapoor diverted over $2 million from company accounts for his personal benefit.—
Jay Weaver,
Miami Herald,
14 May 2026
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Vehicles were allowed to use the slow lane and traffic was diverted off at the rest area.—
City News Service,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Thrown off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thrown%20off. Accessed 26 May. 2026.
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