go through
Britishverb
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(adverb) to be approved or accepted
the amendment went through
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(preposition) to consume; exhaust
we went through our supplies in a day
some men go through a pair of socks in no time
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Also: go over. (preposition) to examine and revise as necessary
he went through the figures
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(preposition) to suffer
she went through tremendous pain
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Also: go over. (preposition) to rehearse
let's just go through the details again
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Also: go over. (preposition) to clean
she went through the cupboards in the spring-cleaning
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(preposition) to participate in
she went through the degree ceremony without getting too nervous
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to bring to a successful conclusion, often by persistence
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(preposition) (of a book) to be published in
that book has gone through three printings this year alone
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to proceed to the next round of a competition
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Examine carefully, as in I went through all the students' papers . [Mid-1600s]
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Experience, undergo, suffer, as in We went through hell trying to find an answer . [Early 1700s]
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Perform; also, rehearse for performance. For example, I went through the sonata in ten minutes , or Let's go through the third act again . [Mid-1700s]
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Use up, complete, as in The children went through all the milk we bought in one day . [Mid-1900s]
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Succeed, be approved, as in I'm sure this new deal will go through . [Late 1800s]
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go through with . Complete, carry out, as in They got engaged last year, but I'm not sure they'll go through with the wedding . [Mid-1500s]
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
My husband plans to sell the house as soon as possible, but we understand that it will need to go through probate first.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 24, 2026
“From a neuroscience stance, when you go through something so intense with others, bonding chemicals are activated in your brain, and it’s beneficial for human mental and physical health in a lot of ways.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
However, the deal did not go through because of an issue with Mateta's knee.
From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026
“When you go through something like that,” he says, “you really start taking inventory of your life. There’s something about that that frees you up to take a risk. I was ready to reinvent myself.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
They hurried to the door that would take them into the stairwell to the top level, where they could go through the water lock, out the caverns, and into freedom in the forest.
From Anya and the Nightingale by Sofiya Pasternack
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
