1 B1 idiomatic informal
To make or prepare something quickly and with little effort.
"I threw together a quick pasta dish with whatever was left in the fridge."
separable
throw together
B1 informal separable transitive/intransitive
To make or assemble something quickly and without much care, or to cause people to meet by chance.
In plain English
To make something fast without trying too hard, or when people end up in the same place by accident.
What does "throw together" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic neutral
To cause people to meet or be in the same situation by chance or circumstance.
"Fate threw the two rivals together on the same team, and they eventually became close friends."
“
'We were thrown together by circumstance.'
— Commonly attributed usage; cited in multiple literary reviews of novels dealing with wartime or travel narratives
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To physically hurl several things into one place.
Actually means
To make something fast without trying too hard, or when people end up in the same place by accident.
Usage tip
When referring to food or a plan, it has a slightly self-deprecating tone — the speaker implies the result is imperfect. When people are 'thrown together', it usually means fate or circumstance brought them into contact.
Words that pair with "throw together"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
meal report plan outfit strangers presentation
How to conjugate "throw together"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
throw together
I/you/we/they
3rd person
throws together
he/she/it
Past simple
threw together
yesterday
Past participle
thrown together
have + pp
-ing form
throwing together
continuous
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