throw out

throw out idiom
  1. Give off, emit, as in That flashlight throws out a powerful beam. [Mid-1700s] Also see throw off, def. 2.
  2. Reject, as in We threw out her proposal. [Early 1600s]
  3. Get rid of, discard; see throw away, def. 1.
  4. Offer a suggestion or plan, as in The nominating committee threw out names for our consideration. [Early 1600s] Also see throw away, def. 3.
  5. Forcibly eject, force the departure of, as in The bartender threw out the drunk, or He was thrown out of the country club for failing to pay his dues. [Early 1500s]
  6. Put out of alignment, as in Lifting that sofa threw out my back.
  7. In baseball or cricket, put a player out by throwing the ball. In baseball, the throw is to a base before the batter reaches it; in cricket, the throw must hit the batsman's wicket. [Second half of 1800s]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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