What’s the past tense of “throw”?
The verb and action, to throw (present tense), describes the bodily movement of, “sending something from your hand through the air by moving your hand or arm quickly”, as stated by the online Oxford Learner’s Dictionary.
Yesterday, I threw the ball to my dog.
He had thrown the frisbee before he saw the bird.
She throwed the trash in the can.
The package was throwed onto the porch.
- Throw is an irregular verb (its past tense forms don’t end in “ed”).
- Threw is the simple past tense; thrown is the past participle form.
A couple additional points of clarification: threw sounds the same as through, but they’re are not the same:
Through is an adverb or a preposition that communicates entering from “one side and out of the other side of (an opening, channel, or location)”. Threw is the past tense of the verb throw, as already mentioned.
Verb tenses of “throw”
| present | past | future | |
|---|---|---|---|
| simple | I throw | I threw | I will throw |
| continuous | I am throwing | I was throwing | I will be throwing |
| perfect | I have thrown | I had thrown | I will have thrown |
| perfect continuous | I have been throwing | I had been throwing | I will have been throwing |
| Examples: throw, used in sentences | |||
| Don’t throw it to him; give it to him! The hotel is within a stone’s throw of the beach. It’s your throw.They’re throwing it over this way! |
| Examples: threw/thrown, used in sentences |
|---|
| He threw the ball into the bushes and the dog ran to fetch it.He threw the double doors open in a dramatic gesture.Three grenades were thrown into the corridor.Two petrol bombs had been thrown through the front window. |
Practice questions: forms of ‘throw’
| Select the correct verb form to complete the sentences. | Answers: |
|---|---|
| 1. Can you ___ me that towel? | a. throws b. throwing c. threw d. throw |
| 2. Practise ___ and catching. | a. throws b. throwing c. threw d. throw |
| 3. He ___ the keys casually down on the table. | a. throws b. throwing c. threw d. throw |
| 4. We were ___ into confusion by the news. | a. throws b. thrown c. threw d. throw |
| 5. A blanket was ___ over the bed. | a. throws b. throwing c. threw d. thrown |
| 6. Just ___ your bag down over there. | a. throws b. throwing c. threw d. throw |
| 7. Who ___ that rock? | a. throws b. throwing c. threw d. throw |
| 8. Everything ___ into chaos. | a. was thrown b. throwing c. threw d. throw |
| 9. They had a competition to see who could ___ the furthest. | a. throws b. throwing c. threw d. throw |
| 10. She ___ the ball up and caught it again. | a. throws b. throwing c. threw d. throw |
Answers
- d
- b
- c
- a
- b
- b
To help remember the past tense of “throw,” create flashcards with “throw,” “threw,” and “thrown,” and practice using them in sentences. Focus on the different contexts where you’d use the simple past (“threw”) versus the past participle (“thrown”).
Synonyms of throw
- toss
- hurl
- fling/flung
- chuck
- lob
- pitch
Phrases with throw
| phrase | meaning |
|---|---|
| don’t throw out the baby with the bath water | Don’t get rid of something good in an attempt to remove what’s bad. |
| throw a monkey wrench into the works | To sabotage or frustrate a project or plans. |
| those who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones | Meaning don’t be a hypocrite. |
| I wouldn’t trust them as far as I could throw them | A way to say you don’t trust someone or think they’re trustworthy. |
| to be thrown off-balance or thrown a curve ball | To be caught off-guard or are unprepared to deal with something overwhelming. |
| a stone’s throw away | Meaning somewhere close in proximity. |
| to be thrown to the wolves | To be left to deal with something difficult on your own. |
| don’t have a pot to piss in or a window to throw it out of | Meaning you are poor or don’t have much. |
| to throw someone into the deep end | To prompt or force one to begin doing something very complex and/or unfamiliar, especially suddenly. |
| don’t throw good money after bad | Don’t waste money on bad decisions. |
| to throw in the towel/sponge | Meaning give up. |
| to throw caution to the wind | To abandon cautiousness in favour of being risky. |
Origin of the word/verb throw
From etymology online on throw (v.):
“To project, propel,” c. 1300, from Old English þrawan “to twist, turn, writhe, curl,” (past tense þreow, past participle þrawen), from Proto-Germanic *threw-.
Learn more about verbs
| Types of verbs & verb tenses | what’s the past tense of …? |
|---|---|
| forms of ‘to be’ | … seek? |
| auxiliary verbs | … teach? |
| present tense | … catch? |
| future tense | … buy? |
| past tense | … read? |
| perfect tense | … ring? |
| transitive vs. intransitive | … drive? |
| participles | … know? |
| irregular verbs | … lead? |
| modals | … win? |
Work Sheet
What is the simple past tense form of the verb “throw”?
Which form of “throw” is used as the past participle, often with “have,” “had,” or “be”?
According to the post, which sentence correctly uses the past tense of “throw”?
The word “threw” sounds like “through,” but “threw” is a verb meaning to propel something, while “through” is typically used as what type of word?
Which of the following is NOT a correct form of the irregular verb “throw”?
He the ball into the bushes yesterday.
Three grenades were into the corridor during the conflict.
She had already the newspaper away before I could read it.
Don’t food at your sister; it’s not polite.
Everything was into chaos by the unexpected announcement.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the past tenses of throw?
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When do you use threw?
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When is thrown used?
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Is throwed the correct past tense?
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Do threw and through mean the same?
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Yash, D. "What’s the Past Tense of Throw? Threw or Thrown?." Grammarflex, Jun 20, 2025, https://www.grammarflex.com/which-is-it-threw-or-thrown-whats-the-past-tense-of-throw/.
Sources
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Wikipedia. 2023. “Indo-European ablaut.” Wikimedia Foundation. Last modified January 10, 2023. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indo-European_ablaut
