1 B1 informal
To get rid of something by throwing it away or discarding it.
"I spent the weekend tossing out old magazines that had been cluttering the spare room."
separable
toss out
B1 informal separable transitive
To discard something, reject an idea, or remove someone from a place.
In plain English
To throw something away, or to make someone leave.
What does "toss out" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B1 idiomatic informal
To eject or remove someone from a place or position.
"The bouncer tossed out three people who were causing trouble at the bar."
separable
3 B2 idiomatic neutral
To reject an idea, proposal, or legal case as invalid or unworthy of consideration.
"The judge tossed out the lawsuit, ruling there was no basis for the claim."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To throw something in the direction of outside.
Actually means
To throw something away, or to make someone leave.
Usage tip
Used in three main contexts: discarding physical objects, rejecting ideas or proposals, and ejecting a person from a place. All senses are informal and common in American English. The object typically comes between 'toss' and 'out' when it is a pronoun.
Words that pair with "toss out"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
junk idea proposal rubbish case person
How to conjugate "toss out"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
toss out
I/you/we/they
3rd person
tosses out
he/she/it
Past simple
tossed out
yesterday
Past participle
tossed out
have + pp
-ing form
tossing out
continuous
Hear "toss out" in the wild
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