throw down

verb

threw down; thrown down; throwing down; throws down
Synonyms of throw downnext

transitive verb

1
: to cause to fall : overthrow
2
: precipitate
3
: to cast off : discard
4
: to make (a slam dunk) with exceptional force

Synonyms of throw down

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of throw down in a Sentence

throw down the gun, and put your hands up
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
At Three Masks, African expats have been throwing down for the title. — Amy Drew Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Aug. 2026 While Paramount has made some minor M&A and ownership concessions outside the US and the UK for regulatory approval of the merger, the agenda items the AGs are throwing down are on a whole other level. — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 23 Aug. 2026 Greg always advised his son to work both sides of the plate and throw down and away to right-handers. — Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026 The way the current administration is leveraging tariffs, by contrast, amounts to throwing down a few puzzle pieces and hoping to build a full picture of a robust trade economy. — Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 6 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for throw down

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of throw down was in the 13th century

Rhymes for throw down

See All Rhymes for throw down

Browse Nearby Words

throw-crook
throw down
throw down the gauntlet
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Throw down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/throw%20down. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of apiary

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All