throw back
verbUK /θɹəʊ ˈbæk/ · US /θɹoʊ ˈbæk/
1
To hinder the development of something.
2
To revert to an earlier stage of development.
- The Century A large proportion of the steerage passengers throw back to their Darwinian ancestry.
3
To retort.
- She jumped to her feet and began stalking away. “Going to cost me fifteen dollars to clean this outfit,” she threw back over her shoulder.2011, Delores Haltom, The Stonecutter: How the Word Became Flesh, page 120:
4
To drink quickly, especially alcoholic beverages.
- We threw back drinks until the next morning.
- “He and I used to throw back beers every now and then when I was with the Bureau.” Shaw grinned arrogantly.2021 July 8, James Patterson, Adam Hamdy, Private Rogue: (Private 16), Random House, →ISBN:
5
Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see throw, back.
- I threw back my head and laughed uproariously.
- We caught several fish in the river but threw them back.
1 more example
- We all raised our glasses, threw them back. I was getting better, but I still felt the alcohol harder than Stephen ever had.2017, Andrew Massie, In the Shadows of My Mind, page 197:
- Related terms
- throwback