Throw out means to get rid of something you don't need or to force someone to leave a place. In the first meaning it's about clutter, old clothes, food that has gone off. In the second it's about club security, a landlord, or a school that expels a student: throw somebody out of a place.
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throw out + noun; throw it/them out; throw somebody out of + place
- I finally threw out all the old magazines that were piling up in the hallway.
- The landlord threatened to throw us out if we were late with the rent again.
- Check the dates in the fridge and throw out anything that has gone off.
What changed
First versionThe security guard threw him out from the club after the fight.
RevisionThe security guard threw him out of the club after the fight.
From seems natural for leaving a place, but out already means “outside”, and the place someone is thrown out of is introduced by of: out of the club. Out from sounds unnatural here.
Throw away also means to get rid of something, and for things the two verbs are almost interchangeable. But only throw out works for people: They threw him out, not threw him away. On the other hand, throw away is used for a wasted chance: He threw away a great chance.
Your turn
The old sofa was broken and nobody wanted it, so last weekend we ___.
Show the answer
threw it out — The short pronoun it goes between throw and out: threw it out. Nobody says threw out it: only a full noun can come straight after out, as in threw out the sofa.
Write about something you threw out recently. Name it and explain why you got rid of it.
Last month I threw out my old printer because it kept jamming and the ink cost more than a new one.
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