throw things at the wall and see what sticks

verb

To experiment in a haphazard or random manner with the hope that some amount of success may be achieved.

Similar
throw spaghetti at the wall
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Meanings

verbthrow things at the wall and see what sticks (third-person singular simple present throws things at the wall and sees what sticks, present participle throwing things at the wall and seeing what sticks, simple past threw things at the wall and saw what stuck, past participle thrown things at the wall and seen what has stuck)

present singular third person throws things at the wall and sees what sticks · participle present throwing things at the wall and seeing what sticks · past threw things at the wall and saw what stuck · participle past thrown things at the wall and seen what has stuck · alternative throw everything at the wall and see what sticks

  1. idiomaticinformalTo experiment in a haphazard or random manner with the hope that some amount of success may be achieved.

    Synonyms: throw spaghetti at the wall

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo experiment in a haphazard or random manner with the hope that some amount of success may be achieved.

Similar
throw spaghetti at the wall
Also see
throw spaghetti at the wall

Origin

From the proverb throw enough mud at the wall, some of it will stick.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

throw things at the wall and see what sticks. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/throw%20things%20at%20the%20wall%20and%20see%20what%20sticks

MLA

“throw things at the wall and see what sticks.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/throw%20things%20at%20the%20wall%20and%20see%20what%20sticks. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “throw things at the wall and see what sticks,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/throw%20things%20at%20the%20wall%20and%20see%20what%20sticks.

Source: throw things at the wall and see what sticks on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.