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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of thrown off
Later, she’s thrown off school grounds for stealing office supplies and sports equipment.
—
Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2025
Neuroscientists are only scratching the surface of what happens when the networks are thrown off balance, but the work could lead to more treatments to fix them, Cembrowski said.
—Yasemin Saplakoglu, Quanta Magazine, 29 Sep. 2025
The Europeans are far too mentally tough to be thrown off their game.
—Ian O'Connor, New York Times, 28 Sep. 2025
Alex feels welcomed in this new town, but is immediately thrown off kilter by the intimacy among neighbors in Tall Pines.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 25 Sep. 2025
The balance of that can get quite thrown off.
—Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 22 Sep. 2025
Without it, in theory, the player might feel thrown off or less secure in their serve, which, in turn, could affect the trajectory of the point (and potentially the game, and then the set, and then the match, because in tennis, it all snowballs.
—Caroline Tien, SELF, 5 Sep. 2025
Perhaps there’s something salutary about being thrown off-balance, the novel suggests.
—Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2025
Videos taken on board the Carnival Panorama earlier this week show dishes sliding off tables in the dining room, water emerging out of an elevator, merchandise thrown off their displays and children screaming.
—Colson Thayer, People.com, 27 Aug. 2025
Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2025
Neuroscientists are only scratching the surface of what happens when the networks are thrown off balance, but the work could lead to more treatments to fix them, Cembrowski said.
—Yasemin Saplakoglu, Quanta Magazine, 29 Sep. 2025
The Europeans are far too mentally tough to be thrown off their game.
—Ian O'Connor, New York Times, 28 Sep. 2025
Alex feels welcomed in this new town, but is immediately thrown off kilter by the intimacy among neighbors in Tall Pines.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 25 Sep. 2025
The balance of that can get quite thrown off.
—Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 22 Sep. 2025
Without it, in theory, the player might feel thrown off or less secure in their serve, which, in turn, could affect the trajectory of the point (and potentially the game, and then the set, and then the match, because in tennis, it all snowballs.
—Caroline Tien, SELF, 5 Sep. 2025
Perhaps there’s something salutary about being thrown off-balance, the novel suggests.
—Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2025
Videos taken on board the Carnival Panorama earlier this week show dishes sliding off tables in the dining room, water emerging out of an elevator, merchandise thrown off their displays and children screaming.
—Colson Thayer, People.com, 27 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for thrown off
Verb
-
But she was distracted by a nagging thought.—
Elizabeth Wolfe,
CNN Money,
12 Oct. 2025
-
Or maybe we’re just easily distracted by tasks like building deer stands in the back yard, or looking for that missing purple egg.—
Paul Cappiello,
Louisville Courier Journal,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Barkhimer was restrained, and the flight was diverted to Boise Airport.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Financial, production, and human resources have been diverted to the defense sector, causing the civilian economy to struggle with increasing demand.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Time,
15 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Thrown off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thrown%20off. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share