English Expressions, Idioms & Phrasal Verbs | Meanings, Examples & Usage
to drop something forcefully; to challenge someone
"He threw down his gloves and walked out angrily."
To challenge someone to fight or compete.
"He threw down the gauntlet by questioning his opponent’s honesty."
to waste more money on something that has already failed
"Don’t throw good money after bad on that failing project."
to add something extra for free; to include casually
"The seller threw in a free cover with the phone."
to give up or quit
"After many failures, he threw in the towel."
to spend money carelessly or extravagantly
"Some rich importers love to throw money around at trade fairs."
to spend large amounts of money in a hasty or unwise way
"The company tried to throw money at the problem instead of addressing the root cause."
To try to solve a problem by spending a lot of money instead of using a better solution.
"The government keeps throwing money at the education problem instead of reforming it."
To try to solve a problem by spending a lot of money instead of finding the real solution.
"You can’t just throw money at the problem; we need a proper plan."
to waste money on something useless
"Buying that fake brand bag was like throwing money down the drain."
to get rid of something; to free oneself from control or illness
"It took him weeks to throw off the flu."
to put on clothes quickly and carelessly
"She just threw on a sweater and ran out the door."
to announce one’s intention to compete for a position or office
"Several candidates have thrown their hats in the ring for the presidency."
to announce one’s candidacy for a position or to join a contest
"When the senator announced that he would throw his hat into the ring for re-election, it surprised many people."
to use one's authority or influence in an aggressive way
"He’s always throwing his weight around in meetings."
to ask for forgiveness and hope for kindness
"She threw herself at the teacher’s mercy after missing the deadline."
to do something with great enthusiasm or energy
"After the breakup, she threw herself into her work."
to get rid of something you no longer need; to discard
"We should throw out all the old newspapers."
to end a relationship with someone; to abandon
"She threw him over for another guy."
to subtly insult or criticize someone
"She was throwing shade at her ex during the conversation."
to betray or sacrifice someone to save yourself
"He threw his colleague under the bus to avoid getting fired."
to punish someone severely
"The judge decided to throw the book at the criminal."
to pass something to someone by throwing; to hand over responsibility
"The host threw to the reporter at the scene."
to assemble or prepare something quickly and without care
"They threw together a quick dinner before the guests arrived."
to blame someone else to save yourself.
"He threw his colleague under the bus to avoid punishment."
to give up in despair or frustration
"The manager threw up his hands when the plan failed."
to show interest in something, especially a competition or challenge
"I decided to throw my hat in the ring and apply for the leadership role."
to use one’s power or influence aggressively
"He likes to throw his weight around in meetings."
to support someone or something strongly
"The manager threw his weight behind the new proposal."
to do something with great enthusiasm and energy
"He threw himself into the new training program."
to mark completed items on a list
"I ticked off each task as I finished to track the progress before the deadline."
very pleased or delighted
"She was tickled pink by the surprise gift."
to help someone through a difficult period
"A short-term loan will tide us over until the invoices are paid."
to clean and organize a space
"I need to tidy up the kitchen before going to bed."
to clean and organize a space after someone else has used it
"After dinner I always tidy up after the kids before sitting down."
to be connected or consistent with something; to correlate with
"The new results tie in with our previous research findings."
to connect innovation plans with business strategy
"The manager wants to tie innovation to strategy for better results."
to connect or link closely with something
"This project ties into our long-term digital strategy."
to link countries through shared economic activities
"Free trade agreements tie nations together through common benefits."
to get married
"They are planning to tie the knot next summer."
to start a friendship
"They tied the knot of friendship during college."
to connect closely with something
"Many local festivals are tied to historical events."
to connect or combine different ideas or organizations into a single effort
"Their vision helps to tie together efforts from multiple NGOs."
to complete final details of an arrangement
"We just need to tie up a few loose ends before the event."
to have money invested in something and not easily available
"Most of their capital is tied up in real estate."
to complete the remaining small tasks of a project
"Before the deadline, we need to tie up loose ends."
to form a partnership or collaboration
"The fintech company will tie up with a global payment network."
a strict mother who pushes her children to achieve high standards
"Her friends call her a tiger mom because she’s very demanding."
To spend less; to live frugally.
"During the recession, people had to tighten their belts."