Meaning trap
throw away
discard
To get rid of something you do not want or need by putting it in the trash.
Don't mix these meanings
Same phrase, different job.
To get rid of something you do not want or need by putting it in the trash.
Another meaning of 'throw away' is 'waste an opportunity'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.
Hear it in context
Notice where the phrase sounds natural.
I threw away all the old magazines last weekend.
If I see food in the fridge that's gone bad, I usually throw it away to avoid getting sick.
Fix the pattern
One small grammar move makes it sound right.
Not: I threw away it.
Say: I threw it away.
With a pronoun, the object goes in the middle: 'throw it away'.
Which sounds natural?
Tap the one a native speaker would say.
'Throw away' is the everyday verb for binning something; 'dispose of' is formal/official.
Build natural chunks
Words that usually travel with it.
throw away + rubbish
- the packaging
- old clothes
- rubbish
- it
Don't confuse it
Related
Other meanings and phrases to compare.
- throw away (waste an opportunity) — Another meaning of 'throw away' is 'waste an opportunity'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.