Throes vs Throws - Commonly Confused Words

The words throes and throws  are  homophones: They sound alike but have different meanings. The plural noun throes means a great struggle or a condition of agonizing pain or trouble. The idiom in the throes of means in the midst of some painful or difficult experience.Throws is the third-person present singular form of the verb throw--to toss, hurl, or discharge. Examples They simulated agonized death throes, rolling around on the ground, twisting their bodies into grotesque shapes and making hideous faces. (Ken Follett, The Pillars of the Earth)In the late 1970s, Uganda was in the throes of economic collapse, and there were long lines in Kampala for even the most basic goods.A young lady appears at the window and throws kisses to the crowd.A sacrifice bunt should be attempted only when the pitcher throws a strike. Practice: My four-year-old son whines and _____ a fit every time we try to take him to the playground.The country was in the _____ of revolution, and the king was compelled to abdicate.Gertrude _____ flowers into Ophelias grave, saying, Sweets to the sweet. Farewell.If you are in the _____ of a hurricane, steer for the calm spot. Answers My four-year-old son whines and  throws  a fit every time we try to take him to the playground.The country was in the  throes  of revolution, and the king was compelled to abdicate.Gertrude  throws  flowers into Ophelias grave, saying, Sweets to the sweet. Farewell.If you are in the  throes  of a hurricane, steer for the calm spot.