throw at
throw (oneself) at (someone or something)
1. To undertake or engage in some task or activity with all of one’s energy, determination, or enthusiasm.
With the way he’s been throwing himself at his work lately, I just hope he doesn’t get burned out.
The company has been throwing itself at cloud computing for the last 10 years.
Sarah always throws herself at any challenge we put in front of her.
2. To vie for someone’s attention or affection in a desperate or overeager manner, especially in a romantic or sexual capacity.
He couldn’t walk into a bar without dozens of fans throwing themselves at him.
By the end of the date he was practically throwing himself at me, but I told him I needed to get to bed early for an important meeting in the morning.
She threw herself at me in a really off-putting way.
throw at
1. To toss someone, something, or oneself in the direction of someone or something else. A noun or pronoun is used between “throw” and “at.”
He crumpled up the contract and threw it at the bank manager.
She threw herself at the burglar to prevent him from escaping with the jewels.
He threw the hostage at the police to create a diversion for his escape.
2. To utilize a large amount of some resource in order to deal with some issue or situation. A noun or pronoun is used between “throw” and “at.”
The government thought they could just throw money at the healthcare problem to fix it, but any real solution will require a complete restructuring of the current system.
After widespread outcry, the company began throwing workers at their customer support division to regain the public’s favor.
3. To apply or give all of one’s time, energy, and effort to something. In this usage, a reflexive pronoun is used between “throw” and “at.”
With the way he’s been throwing himself at his work lately, I just hope he doesn’t get burnt out.
After widespread outcry, the company began throwing workers at their customer support division to regain the public’s favor.
4. To vie for someone’s attention or affection, especially in a romantic or sexual capacity. In this usage, a reflexive pronoun is used between “throw” and “at.”
He couldn’t walk into a bar without dozens of fans throwing themselves at him.
By the end of the date he was practically throwing himself at me, but I told him I needed to get to bed early for an important meeting in the morning.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2022 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
