To throw means to use your arm to send something through the air. When you throw a ball to a friend, you swing your arm and release the ball so it flies toward them. You might throw a frisbee at the park, throw a paper airplane across a classroom, or throw a stick for a dog to fetch.

The distance and accuracy of a throw depend on technique and practice. A baseball pitcher practices for years to throw the ball exactly where the catcher's mitt waits. A quarterback throws a football in a spiral so it cuts through the air smoothly. Even throwing crumpled paper into a trash can takes a bit of aim and force.

People also use throw in other ways. You might throw a party (organize and host it), throw a switch to turn on power, or throw yourself into a project when you work on it with complete focus and energy. When something unexpected happens, it might throw you off, meaning it disrupts your plans or confuses you. A judge might throw out a case, meaning they dismiss it from court.

As a noun, a throw is the act of throwing, or the distance something is thrown (“That was a great throw,” or “It was a long throw”).

The past tense is threw (“I threw the ball yesterday”), and the past participle is thrown (“The ball had been thrown over the fence”).