1 A2 neutral
To discard something no longer wanted or needed.
"We threw out a pile of old magazines when we moved house."
“
I throw out everything I don't need.
— Marie Kondo, 'The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up', 2011
separable
throw out
A2 neutral separable transitive
To discard something, reject an idea, or expel a person.
In plain English
Get rid of something you don't want, or make someone leave a place.
What does "throw out" mean?
4 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 A2 informal
To force a person to leave a place; to eject or expel someone.
"The bouncer threw out the rowdy customer for causing a scene."
separable
3 B1 idiomatic neutral
To reject or dismiss a proposal, idea, or legal case.
"The judge threw out the lawsuit due to lack of evidence."
“
The case was thrown out of court.
— Common legal reporting phrase, widely used in news media (e.g. The Guardian, BBC News)
separable
4 B2 idiomatic informal
To mention or suggest something casually, without serious intent.
"She threw out a few ideas during the meeting, just to get the conversation started."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To physically hurl something in an outward direction.
Actually means
Get rid of something you don't want, or make someone leave a place.
Usage tip
Very common in everyday British and American English. When the object is a pronoun, it must go between 'throw' and 'out' (e.g. 'throw it out', not 'throw out it'). In legal/formal contexts, 'throw out' a case means to dismiss it officially.
Words that pair with "throw out"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
rubbish case idea suggestion tenant old clothes
How to conjugate "throw out"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
throw out
I/you/we/they
3rd person
throws out
he/she/it
Past simple
threw out
yesterday
Past participle
thrown out
have + pp
-ing form
throwing out
continuous
Hear "throw out" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "throw out" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Other ways to say "throw out"
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Keep exploring
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