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Throw away meaning

Throw away means to put something you do not want in the bin. It can also mean to waste a chance or something good by not using it well.

Check yourself: 3 questions

throw something away

throw away · threw · thrown · throwing

B1Separable+1 more meaning

Don’t throw away that box. I need it.

Throw away meanings and examples

2 meanings, each with its own CEFR level. A level marked ~ is our estimate: Oxford and Cambridge give none for that meaning.

  1. 1put something you do not want in the bin
  2. 2waste a chance or something good by not using it well
  1. 1

    Put something you do not want in the bin

    throw something away

    B1Separable

    • Don’t throw away that box. I need it.
    • This bread is old. Let’s throw it away.
    • Why did you throw away my old jeans?
  2. 2

    Waste a chance or something good by not using it well

    throw something away

    B2Separable

    • He threw away a great job because he was always late.
    • You sing so well. Don’t throw your talent away!
    • We threw away a two-goal lead in the last ten minutes.
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Is throw away separable?

Throw away is separable: throw away the bottle, throw the bottle away. With a pronoun, it goes in the middle: throw it away, not throw away it.

The adjective throwaway, one word, means made to be used once (throwaway cups) or said without much thought (a throwaway comment).

Verb tenses for throw away

PresentI throw away · she throws away
Pastthrew away
Present perfecthave thrown away
-ing formthrowing away

Common mistakes with throw away

What learners often say, and what to say instead.

  • Wrong: This pen doesn’t work. I’ll throw away it.

    Right: This pen doesn’t work. I’ll throw it away.

    A pronoun goes between throw and away.

  • Wrong: I threw away it in the bin.

    Right: I threw it in the bin.

    When you name the bin, just say throw it in the bin.

  • Wrong: I throwed the old magazines away.

    Right: I threw the old magazines away.

    The past of throw is threw.

Synonyms and opposites of throw away

Words close to it, and words that mean the opposite.

Similar

Opposite

  • keepnot throw something away
  • recyclesend something to be used again

Throw away quiz

Three quick questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.

  1. 1The milk smells bad. You should ___.

  2. 2Choose the right sentence.

  3. 3“She threw away her chance to study abroad.” What happened?

More phrasal verbs with throw

2 phrasal verbs start with throw. Test yourself on all of them in a few minutes.

Test yourself on throwTake the full test

Throw away FAQ

Questions people ask about throw away.

Throw away vs throw out: what is the difference?

For things you don’t want, they mean the same. Throw out can also mean make a person leave: He was thrown out of the bar.

What does throwaway mean?

Throwaway describes things made to be used once, like throwaway plates. A throwaway remark is said quickly without much thought.

What is the past tense of throw away?

Threw away. The forms are throw, threw, thrown: I have thrown it away.

Use throw away in real conversations

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