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I found out “throw” can be intransitive, so can “I throw at the target” be used instead of “I throw the ball at the target”?

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    It seems to me that this is an ellipsis rather than a true intransitive; the object being thrown is implied rather than stated explicitly. This may be only a lexical distinction, but, to my ear, “I throw” sounds unnatural unless an object is implied by context.
    – Jeff Morrow
    Jul 17, 2021 at 0:43
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    @JeffMorrow A footnote from an old answer of mine: In some contexts the object might be missing because it is inferred. For example, From the corner of her eye, the pitcher saw a runner trying to steal a base. She spun and threw. “Out!” yelled the umpire.
    – ColleenV
    Jul 17, 2021 at 2:00
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    @ColleenV That was exactly what I was trying to say. It was neither a spear nor a baby that was thrown. The object “ball” is implied by the speaker and inferred by the listener because of context.
    – Jeff Morrow
    Jul 17, 2021 at 3:31

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