throw together

Meaning

To quickly make or prepare something, especially a meal, using whatever ingredients or materials are readily available, without much planning or effort. It implies a casual, informal, and speedy process.

Examples

• I didn't have time to go grocery shopping, so I just threw together a quick pasta dish.

  I didn't have time to go grocery shopping, so I just threw together a quick pasta dish.

• If you're hungry, I can easily throw together a salad with what's left in the fridge.

  If you're hungry, I can easily throw together a salad with what's left in the fridge.

• She managed to throw together a delicious dinner in less than fifteen minutes.

  She managed to throw together a delicious dinner in less than fifteen minutes.

• Don't worry about making a fancy meal; just throw something together.

  Don't worry about making a fancy meal; just throw something together.

• We threw together some sandwiches and went to the park for an impromptu picnic.

  We threw together some sandwiches and went to the park for an impromptu picnic.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ I threw together a cake for three hours.

  ✓ I baked a cake for three hours.

  'Throw together' implies doing something very quickly and effortlessly. If it took hours of careful preparation, use 'made' or 'baked' instead.

• ✗ She threw a soup together.

  ✓ She threw together a soup.

  While 'throw together' is separable, putting a noun directly between them can sound awkward for food dishes. It is much more natural to keep 'throw together' together before the noun.

Related Expressions

Practice

• I have some leftover chicken and rice, so I'll just ___ a quick stir-fry.

  💡 To prepare a meal quickly with no planning.

  Show answer

  throw together

• We didn't plan any menu, we just ___ a few appetizers for the guests.

  💡 Use the past tense of the phrasal verb.

  Show answer

  threw together