throw away

This is a 'separable' phrasal verb. That sounds fancy, but it's simple. You can say throw away the trash. You can also say throw the trash away. Both are perfect. If you use a pronoun like it, you must put it in the middle. Always say throw it away. Never say throw away it—that sounds a bit robotic!

Use it every day at home or work. Use it when you are decluttering your room. Use it when you finish a snack and need a bin. It's great for talking about missed opportunities too. If you waste a chance, you throw away an opportunity. It feels a bit more dramatic that way.

Don't use it for people! You don't throw away a friend. If you want to say you ended a relationship, use break up. Also, don't use it for recycling. If you are being eco-friendly, say recycle. Throw away usually means it's going to a landfill.

In many English-speaking cultures, there is a big 'throw-away' culture. This means people buy things, use them once, and bin them. However, people are becoming more conscious now. You might hear people say, "Don't throw that away!" because they want to donate it. It’s a word that sits right in the middle of the consumerism debate.

In the UK, you might hear throw out. It means the exact same thing. In the US, trash it is a common slang version. If you want to sound more formal, use dispose of. But for a coffee with friends, throw away is the king of phrases.