to throw overboard
1
6.0
- phrasal verb
:
descartar
- And then there's a case where he throws his money overboard when pirates are coming in.
- throw some things overboard
Examples
-
I threw Addie's things overboard, just like he wanted, but I palmed the music box.
Fiction book (1995) -
Later on, my brother would buy her something with every paycheck he received so that her youthful dreams, having been thrown overboard, might be fulfilled.
Fiction book (1996) -
Whoever loses this challenge is getting thrown overboard and has to swim back.
-
He says, "We must throw overboard the idea that competition is a necessary way of life."
Academic text (1994) -
Ah, nah, but he was furious about that ice sculpture you threw overboard.
-
Let's keep the good ones, throw the mutts overboard, and work at getting some real forward-thinking people into Congress, some real-live Social-Democrat types.
Blog text (22) -
In order to meet the budget, the company decided to throw overboard some of its less profitable projects.
-
To make room for new inventory, the store manager had to throw overboard items that weren't selling.
-
The team agreed to throw overboard their old strategies that were no longer effective during the meeting.
Synonyms
∞
1.6
To remove or throw away something you do not want
541
2.6
To drop or throw things away in a careless way
477
1.8
To get rid of something you do not want, for example by putting it in the bin
401
3.8
Stop supporting an idea or plan
354
3.4
Remove someone or something from a competition so they are no longer in it
332
3.0
To refuse to accept an idea or claim
234
4.4
To abandon a person, plan, or thing suddenly
163
4.2
To stop considering a case, request, or proposal in court
149
3.4
Get rid of something by throwing it away, selling it, or giving it to someone
136
3.2
To remove something unwanted from a place
130
2.7
To throw something away because you no longer want or need it
88
3.7
Remove something so it is no longer used
56
4.1
Deal with and finish a problem or task so it no longer causes trouble
39
2.7
To throw away things you do not want
37
3.8
To remove unwanted people or things from a group
29
7.8
Throw things from a ship or plane to make it lighter
24
6.3
To stop using something because you do not need it
13
3.0
To throw away things that are no longer useful
11
3.7
Reject or ignore people and things you no longer want
10
3.6
Remove people completely from a place or group because they are unwanted
7
4.3
To make people forget and stop caring about something
7
8.6
Get rid of someone or something you no longer want
5
2.0
To throw something away because you no longer want or need it
4
4.1
To throw away things you no longer want
4
5.3
Treat a question or problem as not important
3
4.8
To get rid of something you do not want or need
3
4.7
To ignore an opinion or worry as unimportant
2
5.9
Treat something as unimportant and ignore it
1
3.7
To throw away things you do not want
1
7.5
To get rid of something unwanted, for example a bad habit or a weak branch
1
7.1
Remove people or things from a group because they are not suitable
1
3.8
To quickly remove something you have or that bothers you
To get rid of something completely, for example by cancelling plans or throwing things away
Ignore something when you make a decision or calculation
Antonyms
How Rejected
Surface Forms
Morphology
The literal combination of 'throw' (propel) + 'overboard' (from a vessel into water) yields the image of tossing something off a boat, which transparently suggests discarding or getting rid of it. However, the extension from the concrete maritime image to the broader metaphorical sense 'reject/eliminate' requires an inferential step and some contextual exposure, so it is not fully predictable for a B1 learner.
Etymology
Throw overboard comes from the same ship image: sailors would throw unwanted things overboard to make the ship lighter. So it came to mean 'to reject' or 'get rid of' something that is unwanted.