throw to the wind

verb

To discard or dispense with, especially in an abrupt or reckless manner.

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Meanings

verbthrow to the wind (third-person singular simple present throws to the wind, present participle throwing to the wind, simple past threw to the wind, past participle thrown to the wind)

present singular third person throws to the wind · participle present throwing to the wind · past threw to the wind · participle past thrown to the wind · alternative toss to the wind · alternative throw to the winds

  1. idiomaticTo discard or dispense with, especially in an abrupt or reckless manner.

    There are men in the Bible whom God condemns for wasting their talent, for throwing it to the wind.

    2002, Elizabeth Nunez, Discretion, →ISBN, page 274
    1 more example

    Proud of their accomplishment, they recently threw secrecy to the wind, opened their basement display room to visitors.

    1967 December 1, “Under the Haberdashery By the City Gate”, in Time

Translations

Finnish heittää vesilintua
  • heittää vesilintuaTranslations
French jeter au vent
  • jeter au ventTranslations
German in den Wind schlagen
  • in den Wind schlagenTranslations
Polish opuszczać, opuścić
  • opuszczaćTranslations
  • opuścićTranslations
Cite this entry
APA

throw to the wind. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/throw%20to%20the%20wind

MLA

“throw to the wind.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/throw%20to%20the%20wind. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “throw to the wind,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/throw%20to%20the%20wind.

Source: throw to the wind on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.