throw away

USAGE SUMMARY

"throw away" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to explain that something should be discarded or disposed of. For example, "Be sure to throw away any expired food items."

✓ Grammatically correct

Wiki

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

They didn't throw away.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Don't throw away.

The New Yorker

tempt; to throw away slightly.

Yale University

Throw away your batteries.

MIT Technology Review

I'll throw away your suitcase".

The New Yorker

"Throw away your Prozac!

Los Angeles Times

Throw away the key.

HuffPost

Throw away the clock.

Huffington Post

We just throw away specimens.

BMC Medical Ethics

But now I throw away the bottle.

BMC Oral Health

Throw away the Tippex.

WikiHow

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When referring to digital files, it's better to say “delete” instead of "throw away".

Common error

Be careful not to confuse "throw away", which means to discard something, with "give away", which means to donate or offer something for free. For example, "I threw away the expired milk" versus "I gave away my old clothes to charity."

Linguistic Context

The phrasal verb "throw away" functions primarily as a verb of disposal, indicating the act of discarding or getting rid of something unwanted or useless. Ludwig provides numerous examples where "throw away" is used to describe the physical act of discarding items.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Wiki

37%

News & Media

24%

Science

8%

Less common in

Academia

3%

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrasal verb "throw away" is a common and generally correct way to express discarding or wasting something. As noted by Ludwig, it's widely used across various contexts. While "throw away" is suitable for most informal and neutral situations, more formal contexts might benefit from using alternatives like "dispose of" or "discard". Remember to avoid confusing "throw away" with "give away", and be mindful of more precise terms like “delete” when referring to digital files. The examples provided by Ludwig highlight the versatility of this phrase in everyday language.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

dispose of

A more formal alternative that emphasizes the proper handling of waste.

get rid of

A common and slightly more general way to express removing something unwanted.

discard

Suggests rejecting something because it's no longer useful or desirable.

dump

Implies a less careful or considerate way of getting rid of something.

eliminate

Indicates the complete removal of something, often something undesirable.

scrap

Specifically refers to discarding something, often metal or machinery, as waste.

junk

Implies discarding something because it's worthless or broken.

bin

A British English term for discarding something in a bin (trash can).

squander

Specifically refers to wasting resources or opportunities.

write off

In a business context, it means to acknowledge something as a loss or failure.

FAQs

How can I use "throw away" in a sentence?

You can use "throw away" to indicate discarding something, like "I need to "throw away" these old magazines" or wasting something, like "Don't "throw away" this opportunity".

What is a more formal alternative to "throw away"?

A more formal alternative to "throw away" is "dispose of". For example, instead of saying "I need to "throw away" these chemicals", you could say "I need to dispose of these chemicals properly".

Is it correct to use "throw away" in business writing?

While "throw away" is generally acceptable, in formal business writing, it may be more appropriate to use "discard" or "dispose of", especially when referring to documents or sensitive materials. However, when referring to wasting resources, "throw away" can be used.

What's the difference between "throw away" and "get rid of"?

"Throw away" implies physically discarding something into the trash. "Get rid of" is broader and can include selling, donating, or any other method of removing something from your possession. You can "throw away" trash but you are less likely to "throw away" your car because you can also get rid of it.