Throw
what it means
A throw requires having been ahead — you can't throw a game you were losing. "Griefing" is losing on purpose, which is different and worse.
To lose a game you were winning, usually through your own mistakes.
the origin story
Sports vocabulary for deliberately losing, adopted by gaming communities and softened to include accidental collapse.
The gaming sense diverged from the sporting one, where throwing means match-fixing. In games, "you threw" usually means you panicked at the wrong moment, which is why it's an accusation of choking rather than corruption.
in the wild
We were 12-2 up.
And we threw it. Spectacularly.
He pushed alone with the lead.
Single-handedly threw.
how to use it
- Describing a collapse from a winning position
- Gaming and sports banter
- Post-match discussion
- To accuse someone of deliberate match-fixing without evidence
- Professionally
- About teammates in a way that escalates
related terms
receipts
Community feedback
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