Throes is the correct spelling of the noun in the phrase in the throes of. The word, which rarely appears outside this phrase and death throes, means a condition of agonizing struggle or trouble. So to be in the throes of something is to be struggling with great effort to make it through.
Examples
In the throes of is commonly misspelled as in the throws of—for example:
This is a record about the constant war between the mind and the heart in the throws of our ever complicated human relationships. [Student Operated Press]
But when Elaine, a former nurse, arrived at the house she realised Jennifer was in the throws of labour and phoned for an ambulance. [Kilmarnock Standard]
These writers use in the throes of correctly:
But the country is in the throes of civil war, and the hotel is struggling … [NOW Toronto]
The officers found a passenger in the vehicle in the throes of a drug overdose. [Victoria Times Colonist]
As cities are in the throes of dealing with tight budgets, many look at charging “user fees” instead of raising property taxes or cutting services. [Pioneer Press (article now offline)]
In the throes of is often misused to mean in the process of or in the midst of, without implying struggle or trouble—for example:
The store at 1250 E. Magnolia is in the throes of a $1.3 million renovation that represents the mega-store’s latest design. [The Coloradoan (article now offline)]
Deep in the throes of Corona, Calif., three-time X Games Gold Medalist and five-time NORA Cup Dirt Rider of the Year winner Corey Bohan shares a home with roommate Ryan ‘Biz’ Jordan. [ESPN]
In these sentences, it would make more sense to use in the process of or in the midst of (or a shorter alternative) instead of in the throes of.
