THE IDIOM COLLECTION LEARN & PRACTISE
Throw caution to the wind
Understand the meaning. See it in context. Make it yours.
01 / UNDERSTAND
Meaning in plain English
To take a risk and act without worrying about the consequences.
02 / SEE IT IN CONTEXT
The expression in a sentence
- They threw caution to the wind and entered the costume contest.
03 / CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING
Quick idiom quiz
Try the question without looking back, then write a sentence of your own. You can retry as often as you like.
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Can you recall the expression?
Which expression from this lesson matches this meaning?
To take a risk and act without worrying about the consequences.
Show the answer
Throw caution to the wind — To take a risk and act without worrying about the consequences.
Try your own sentence (optional)
Make it yours
Write one sentence using “Throw caution to the wind” about your own life.
Check your sentence
Does your sentence match this meaning?
To take a risk and act without worrying about the consequences.
Compare: They threw caution to the wind and entered the costume contest.
Check the spelling and how the expression fits the sentence. Your example can be different.
Self-review only. Your sentence is not automatically marked, saved or submitted.
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More ways to understand and use it
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How to use this expression
Both “throw caution to the wind” and “throw caution to the winds” occur. The phrase emphasizes setting aside caution for a particular action. It can describe a cheerful spontaneous choice or an unwise risk; context supplies the judgment.
More examples
They threw caution to the wind and volunteered for the unscripted comedy scene.
Usually reserved, she threw caution to the wind and sang at the open-mic night.
Check your understanding
Does using the phrase prove that the decision was sensible?
Answer: No. It describes taking a risk without much caution, not the quality of the decision.
Describe the decision, then judge it separately
Usually shy, Bea signs up for an open-mic poem reading without rehearsing. “I threw caution to the wind,” she says afterwards.
Think it through: Does the sentence tell us whether her performance went well?
Check the explanation
No. It describes putting caution aside at the decision stage. Add a separate sentence to report the result. The past tense is “threw”, and the past participle is “thrown”: “She has thrown caution to the wind.”
Your turn: Write the decision and a possible result as two separate sentences.
Compare expressions: Risk and decisions
Taking a personal risk is different from ignoring caution or accepting the result of an action. Compare the speaker’s attitude before choosing an expression.
Try the situation question and check your answer →