Throw sb up Meaning & Examples: How to Use This Phrasal Verb

What Does “Throw sb up” Mean?

“Throw sb up” is a phrasal verb that means to vomit or cause someone to vomit. It is often used in informal contexts to describe nausea or sickness.

Introduction

The phrasal verb “throw sb up” is commonly used in English to describe the action of vomiting. It can refer to oneself or another person. Understanding the throw sb up meaning helps learners express sickness or discomfort clearly. This phrase is informal and often used in everyday conversations, especially when talking about feeling unwell after eating something bad or experiencing motion sickness. Knowing how to use “throw sb up” correctly will improve your ability to describe unpleasant situations in natural English.

Quick Info Box

• Phrasal verb: throw sb up (throw somebody up)
• Type: Transitive
• Level: B1 (Intermediate)
• Short meaning: To cause someone to vomit

Structure (Grammar Rules)

“Throw sb up” is a transitive phrasal verb, meaning it takes a direct object (someone). The structure is separable because the object (sb) comes between the verb and the particle “up.”

Patterns:

• throw + somebody + up
• throw + sb + up + (optional additional info)

Example: “The spoiled food threw me up.”

How to Use Throw sb up?

Use “throw sb up” when describing vomiting caused by illness, food poisoning, or other reasons. It can refer to yourself or someone else. Usually, it is informal and common in spoken English. You can add reasons or time expressions to provide more details.

Example: “The motion sickness threw her up during the boat trip.”

Examples

After eating the bad seafood, John threw himself up all night. It was a terrible experience.

• The smell of the garbage threw him up immediately.
• She threw up after drinking too much at the party.
• The medicine threw the baby up, so the doctor changed the prescription.
• He felt dizzy and threw up on the bus.

Throw sb up in a sentence: “The spoiled milk threw me up last night.”

Common Mistakes

People often confuse “throw sb up” with “throw up” (vomit oneself). The object “sb” must be a person.

• Incorrect: The food threw up me.
• Correct: The food threw me up.
• Incorrect: She threw up the food.
• Correct: She threw the food up (meaning she vomited the food).

Differences / Synonyms

“Throw sb up” differs from “throw up” (without an object), which means to vomit oneself. Another similar phrasal verb is “bring up,” which also means to vomit but is more formal.

• Throw up: to vomit oneself (intransitive)
• Throw sb up: to cause someone else to vomit (transitive)
• Bring up: to vomit (formal/informal)

Common Collocations

We often use “throw sb up” with words related to sickness or causes of vomiting.

• Food: spoiled, bad, rotten
• Motion sickness: boat, car, bus
• Illness: flu, stomach bug

Example: “The spoiled sushi threw him up quickly.”

Related Phrasal Verbs

Here are related phrasal verbs of throw sb up:

• Throw Sth On Sth
• Throw Sth Out
• Throw Sb Onto Sth
• Throw Sth On Sb
• Throw Yourself Over Sth

Real-life Dialogue

Here is a short conversation using “throw sb up”:

Anna: I heard you were sick yesterday. What happened?

Ben: Yeah, the food at that new restaurant threw me up. I felt awful.

Anna: That’s terrible! Did you see a doctor?

Ben: Not yet, but I’m still feeling weak.

Practice

Complete the sentences with the correct form of “throw sb up”:

• The bad milk ________ me ________ last night.
• Motion sickness can ________ some people ________ on a long trip.
• The smell of the garbage ________ the children ________ immediately.

FAQ

• Q: Can “throw sb up” be used in formal writing?
  A: No, it is mostly informal and used in spoken English.
• Q: Is “throw sb up” the same as “throw up”?
  A: No, “throw up” means to vomit yourself, while “throw sb up” means to cause someone else to vomit.
• Q: Can “sb” be replaced with animals?
  A: Usually, it refers to people, but sometimes it can be used for pets informally.
• Q: What is the grammatical type of “throw sb up”?
  A: It is a transitive phrasal verb.
• Q: Is “throw sb up” separable?
  A: Yes, the object usually goes between “throw” and “up.”