throw away — waste an opportunity
phrasal verbB2IELTS 6+neutralcommon
To fail to use a chance or opportunity, often by making a mistake or not trying.
Say it like a native
Textbook He squandered a remarkable opportunity through carelessness.
Native He just threw away a great chance.
'Throw away' captures wasting a chance carelessly; 'squander' is formal.
Pattern: throw away something
In use
- She threw away her chance to study abroad by missing the application deadline.study
- Many people regret throwing away opportunities when they were younger, especially related to education or career.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ Don't throw away your future away.
✓ Don't throw your future away.
Don't double 'away'; with a noun object it can go either side.
Common collocations
throw away + chance— a chance, the opportunity, your future, your money
Don't confuse it
Different from the literal sense of 'throw away', which is about objects.
Related
- throw away (discard) — Another meaning of 'throw away' is 'discard'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.