[through one's mind] See: CROSS ONE'S MIND or PASS THROUGH ONE'S MIND.
[through one's paces] See: PUT THROUGH ONE'S PACES.
[through street] <n.> 1. A street on which cars can move without stopping at intersections, but cars on streets crossing it have to stop at the intersection. * /You have to be especially careful crossing a through street./ * /Mr. Jones stopped his car when he came to the through street. He waited until there were no cars on it, and drove across it./ Contrast: STOP STREET. 2. A street that is open to other streets at both ends; a street that has a passage through it, so that it is not necessary to come back to get out of it. * /We thought we could get through to Main St. by going up a side street but there was a sign that said "Not a through street."/
[through the mill] <adv. phr.> 1. Experienced. * /You could tell immediately that the new employee had been through the mill./ 2. Through real experience of the difficulties of a certain way of life. * /Poor Jerry has had three operations in one year, and now he's back in the hospital. He's realty gone through the mill./ Compare: GO THROUGH HELL AND HIGH WATER, COME HELL OR HIGH WATER.
[through the motions] See: GO THROUGH THE MOTIONS.
[through the nose] See: PAY THROUGH THE NOSE.
[through thick and thin] <adv. phr.> Through all difficulties and troubles; through good times and bad times. * /The friends were faithful through thick and thin./ * /George stayed in college through thick and thin, because he wanted an education./
[through train] <n. phr.> A direct train that doesn't necessitate any changes. * /We'll take the through train from Chicago to New York because it's the most convenient./
[throw] See: FREE THROW, PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN GLASS HOUSES SHOULD NOT THROW STONES.
[throw a curve] <v. phr.>, <slang>, <informal> 1. To mislead or deceive someone; to lie. * /John threw me a curve about the hiring./ 2. To take someone by surprise in an unpleasant way. * /Mr. Weiner's announcement threw the whole company a curve./
[throw a fit] See: HAVE A FIT.
[throw a monkey wrench] or [throw a wrench] <v. phr.>, <informal> To cause something that is going smoothly to stop. * /The game was going smoothly until you threw a monkey wrench into the works by fussing about the rules./ * /The Michigan tacklers threw a wrench into the Wisconsin team's offense./ * /He hoped to see the class plan fail and looked for a chance to throw a wrench in the machinery./
[throw a party] <v. phr.>, <informal> To hold a party; have a party. * /The club is throwing a party in the high school gym Saturday night./ * /The Seniors threw a masquerade party on Halloween./
[throw a punch] <v. phr.> To strike at someone with your fist; hit; punch. * /Bob became so mad at Fred that he threw a punch at him./ * /The bell rang and the boxers started throwing punches./ Compare: TAKE A PUNCH AT.
[throw away] <v.> 1. To get rid of as unwanted or not needed; junk. * /Before they moved they threw away everything they didn't want to take with them./ * /I never save those coupons; I just throw them away./ Syn.: THROW OUT. 2. To waste. * /The senator criticized the government for throwing away billions on the space program./ 3. To fail to make use of. * /She threw away a good chance for a better job./
[throw a wet blanket] See: WET BLANKET.
[throw caution to the winds] also [throw discretion to the winds] <v. phr.> To be daring; make a bold or risky move. * /Hearing that Apaches were planning to start a war, the whites decided to throw caution to the winds and attack the Apaches first./
[throw cold water on] also [dash cold water on] or [pour cold water on] <v. phr.> To discourage; say or do something to discourage. * /We had high hopes of victory but our opponents soon threw cold water on them./ * /Henry's father threw cold water on his plans to go to college by saying he could not afford it./
[throw a loop] See: KNOCK FOR A LOOP.
[throw down the gauntlet] <v. phr.> To challenge, especially to a fight. * /Another candidate for the presidency has thrown down the gauntlet./
[throw for a loss] <v. phr.> 1. To tackle a member of the opposing football team behind the place where his team had the ball at the beginning of the play; push the other team back so that they lose yardage in football. * /The Blues' quarterback ran back and tried to pass, but before he could, the Reds' end threw him for a loss./ Compare: LOSE GROUND. 2. <informal> To surprise or shock (someone); upset; make worry greatly; cause trouble. * /It threw Jim for a loss when he failed the test./ * /Mr. Simpson was thrown for a loss when he lost his job./ Compare: KNOCK FOR A LOOP, SET BACK ON ONE'S HEELS.
[throw in] <v.> 1. To give or put in as an addition; to give to or with something else. * /John threw in a couple of tires when he sold Bill his bicycle./ * /Mary and Tess were talking about the prom, and Joan threw in that she was going with Fred./ Compare: FOR GOOD MEASURE. 2. To push into operating position. * /Mr. Jones threw in the clutch and shifted the gears./
[throw light on] See: CAST LIGHT ON, SHED LIGHT ON.
[throw something in one's face] or [throw something in one's teeth] <v. phr.> To blame a person for (something wrong); not allow someone to forget (a mistake or failure). - Often used with "back". * /Bob came home late for dinner last week, and his mother keeps throwing it back in his face./ * /I made a mistake in the ball game and the boys keep throwing it back in my teeth./ Compare: IN ONE'S FACE.
[throw in one's lot with] or <literary> [cast in one's lot with] <v. phr.> To decide to share or take part in anything that happens to; join. * /The thief decided to throw in his lot with the gang when he heard their plans./ * /Washington was rich, but he decided to cast in his lot with the colonies against Britain./ * /When Carl was old enough to vote, he threw in his lot with the Democrats./ Syn.: JOIN FORCES.
[throw in the sponge] or [throw up the sponge] or [throw in the towel] <v. phr.>, <informal> To admit defeat; accept loss. * /After taking a beating for five rounds, the fighter's seconds threw in the sponge./ * /When Harold saw his arguments were not being accepted, he threw in the towel and left./ Syn.: GIVE UP.
[throw off] <v.> 1. To get free from. * /He was healthy enough to throw off his cold easily./ Compare: RID OF. 2. To mislead; confuse; fool. * /They went by a different route to throw the hostile bandits off their track./ 3. To produce easily or as if without effort. * /She could throw off a dozen poems in a night./
[throw off the scent] <v. phr.> To mislead; confuse. * /The robbers went different ways hoping to throw the sheriff's men off the scent./ Syn.: THROW OFF(2).
[throw off the track] <v. phr.> To divert; mislead; confuse. * /The clever criminals threw the detective off the track by changing their names and faces./ Contrast: OFF THE BEATEN TRACK.
[throw oneself at someone's feet] <v. phr.> To make a public display of serving, loving, or worshipping someone. * /When Arthur became king, almost all of the nobles threw themselves at his feet and promised to obey and serve him./ * /When the new girl entered school, several boys threw themselves at her feet./
[throw oneself at someone's head] or [fling oneself at someone's head] <v. phr.>, <informal> To try hard and openly to make a person love you. * /She threw herself at his head, but he was interested in another girl./ Compare: AT ONE'S FEET.
[throw one's hat in the ring] or [toss one's hat in the ring] <v. phr.>, <informal> To announce that you are going to try to be elected to an official position; become a candidate for office. * /Bill tossed his hat in the ring for class president./ * /The senator threw his hat in the ring for re-election./
[throw one's weight around] <v. phr.>, <informal> To use one's influence or position in a showy or noisy manner. * /John was the star of the class play, and he was throwing his weight around telling the director how the scene should be played./ * /Bob was stronger than the other boys, and he threw his weight around./ Compare: PULL RANK.
[throw open] 1. To open wide with a sudden or strong movement. * /He dashed in and threw open the windows./ 2. To remove limits from. * /The Homestead Act threw open the West./ * /When a hurricane and flood left many people homeless, public buildings were thrown open to shelter them./
[throw] or [feed one to the wolves] <v. phr.> 1. To turn someone into a scapegoat. * /In order to explain the situation to the media, the governor blamed the mayor and threw him to the wolves./ 2. To send into danger without protection. * /Mary was very shy. Her friends did not come to speak before the club in her place. They threw her to the wolves./ * /The boys on the football team were so small that when they played a good team they were thrown to the wolves./
[throw out] or [toss out] <v.> 1. To put somewhere to be destroyed because not wanted. * /He didn't need the brush anymore so he threw it out./ Syn.: THROW AWAY(1). 2. To refuse to accept. * /The inspector tossed out all the parts that didn't work./ 3. To force to leave; dismiss. * /When the employees complained too loudly, the owner threw them out./ Syn.: KICK OUT, TURN OUT(1). 4. To cause to be out in baseball by throwing the ball. * /The shortstop tossed the runner out./
[throw out of gear] <v. phr.> 1. To separate the gears of (a car or some other machine) when you want to stop it. * /When John wanted to stop, he threw the car out of gear and braked sharply./ 2. To stop or bother (what someone is doing or planning); confuse; upset. * /The whole country was thrown out of gear by the assassination of the President./ * /My mother's illness threw my plans for the summer out of gear./
[throw over] <v.> To give up for another; break your loyalty or attachment to. * /Bob threw Mary over for a new girlfriend./ * /Tom threw over those who helped him run for class president after he was elected./
[throw the baby out with the bath (bathwater)] <v. phr.> To reject all of something because part is faulty. * /God knows that there are weaknesses in the program, but if they act too hastily they may cause the baby to be thrown out with the bathwater./
[throw the book at] <v. phr.>, <informal> To give the most severe penalty to (someone) for breaking the law or rules. * /Because it was the third time he had been caught speeding that month, the judge threw the book at him./
[throw together] <v.> 1. also [slap together] To make in a hurry and without care. * /Bill and Bob threw together a cabin out of old lumber./ * /The party was planned suddenly, and Mary threw together a meal out of leftovers./ 2. To put in with other people by chance. * /The group of strangers was thrown together when the storm trapped them on the highway./ * /Bill and Tom became friends when they were thrown together in the same cabin at camp./
[throw up] <v.> 1. <informal> or <slang> [heave up]. To vomit. * /The heat made him feel sick and he thought he would throw up./ * /He took the medicine but threw it up a minute later./ 2. <informal> To quit; leave; let go; give up. * /When she broke their engagement he threw up his job and left town./ 3. To build in a hurry. * /The contractor threw up some temporary sheds to hold the new equipment./ 4. To mention often as an insult. * /His father threw up John's wastefulness to him./
[throw up one's hands] <v. phr.> To give up trying; admit that you cannot succeed. * /Mrs. Jones threw up her hands when the children messed up the living room for the third time./ * /When Mary saw the number of dishes to be washed, she threw up her hands in dismay./
[throw up one's hands in horror] <v. phr.> To be horrified; feel alarmed; give up hope of straightening things out; be shocked by something terrible. * /When Mrs. Brown saw the mess the children were making in her living room, she threw up her hands in horror./ * /Everybody threw up their hands in horror at the destruction caused by the hurricane./
[throw up the sponge] See: THROW IN THE SPONGE.
[thumb] See: ALL THUMBS, GREEN THUMB, TURN THUMBS DOWN, TWIDDLE ONE'S THUMBS, UNDER ONE'S THUMB or UNDER THE THUMB OF.
[thumb a ride] <v. phr.>, <informal> To get a ride by hitchhiking; hitchhike. * /Not having much money, Carl decided to thumb a ride to New York./
[thumb one's nose] <v. phr.> 1. To hold one's open hand in front of one's face with one's thumb pointed at one's nose as a sign of scorn or dislike. * /After Bob ran into the house he thumbed his nose at Tom through the window./ 2. <informal> To look with disfavor or dislike; regard with scorn; refuse to obey. - Used with "at". * /Betty thumbed her nose at her mother's command to stay home./ * /Mary thumbed her nose at convention by wearing odd clothes./ Compare: LOOK DOWN ON.
[thumb through] <v. phr.> To examine superficially; read cursorily. * /I have read "War and Peace" but Fran has only thumbed through it./