through

[ throo ]

/ θru /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for through on Thesaurus.com

preposition

in at one end, side, or surface and out at the other: to pass through a tunnel; We drove through Denver without stopping. Sun came through the window.

past; beyond: to go through a stop sign without stopping.

from one to the other of; between or among the individual members or parts of: to swing through the trees; This book has passed through many hands.

over the surface of, by way of, or within the limits or medium of: to travel through a country; to fly through the air.

during the whole period of; throughout: They worked through the night.

having reached the end of; done with: to be through one's work.

to and including: from 1900 through 1950.

by the means or instrumentality of; by the way or agency of: It was through him they found out.

by reason of or in consequence of: to run away through fear.

in at the first step of a process, treatment, or method of handling, passing through subsequent steps or stages in order, and finished, accepted, or out of the last step or stage: The body of a car passes through 147 stages on the production line. The new tax bill finally got through Congress.

adverb

in at one end, side, or surface and out at the other: to push a needle through; just passing through.

all the way; along the whole distance: This train goes through to Boston.

throughout: soaking wet through.

from the beginning to the end: to read a letter through.

to the end: to carry a matter through.

to a favorable or successful conclusion: He barely managed to pull through.

adjective

having completed an action, process, etc.; finished: Please be still until I'm through. When will you be through with school?

at the end of all relations or dealings: My sister insists she's through with selfish friends.

passing or extending from one end, side, or surface to the other: a through wound coming left to right and out the other side.

traveling or moving to a destination without changing of trains, planes, etc.: a through flight.

(of a road, route, way, course, etc., or of a ticket, routing order, etc.) admitting continuous or direct passage; having no interruption, obstruction, or hindrance: a through highway; through ticket.

(of a bridge truss) having a deck or decks within the depth of the structure.Compare deck (def. 16).

of no further use or value; washed-up: Critics say he's through as a writer.

QUIZ

ARE YOU A TRUE BLUE CHAMPION OF THESE "BLUE" SYNONYMS?

We could talk until we're blue in the face about this quiz on words for the color "blue," but we think you should take the quiz and find out if you're a whiz at these colorful terms.

Question 1 of 8

Which of the following words describes “sky blue”?

navy

beryl

azure

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Meet Grammar Coach

Write or paste your essay, email, or story into Grammar Coach and get grammar help

Improve Your Writing

Meet Grammar CoachImprove Your Writing

Idioms about through

through and through,

through the whole extent of; thoroughly: cold through and through.
from beginning to end; in all respects: an aristocrat through and through.

Origin of through

before 900; Middle English (preposition and adv.), metathetic variant of thourgh,Old English thurh, cognate with German durch; akin to Old English therh,Gothic thairh through, Old High German derh perforated, Old English thyrel full of holes (adj.), hole (noun). See thirl

synonym study for through

8. See by.

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH through

threw, through

Words nearby through

throttle-body injection, Throttlebottom, throttlehold, throttle lever, throttle valve, through, through a glass darkly, through and through, through bass, through bridge, through-composed

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

How to use through in a sentence

Fluoride first entered an American water supply through a rather inelegant technocratic scheme.
Anti-Fluoriders Are The OG Anti-Vaxxers|Michael Schulson|July 27, 2016|DAILY BEAST
We see detoxing as a path to transcendence, a symbol of modern urban virtue and self-transformation through abstinence.
How Taryn Toomey’s ‘The Class’ Became New York’s Latest Fitness Craze|Lizzie Crocker|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The questions going through my mind are: How on earth are there Kalashnikovs and rocket launchers in the heart of Paris?
Ayaan Hirsi Ali: Our Duty Is to Keep Charlie Hebdo Alive|Ayaan Hirsi Ali|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Cold War fears could be manipulated through misleading art to attract readers to daunting material.
How Pulp Fiction Saved Literature|Wendy Smith|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST

It opens with Huckabee's dramatic recollection of going through security at the airport.
Huckabee 2016: Bend Over and Take It Like a Prisoner!|Olivia Nuzzi|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Before Ripperda could unclasp his lips to reply, the stranger had opened the door, and passed through it like a gliding shadow.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter
A constant sense of easy balance should be developed through poising exercises.
Expressive Voice Culture|Jessie Eldridge Southwick
This city stands upon almost two equal parts on each side the river that passes through.
Gulliver's Travels|Jonathan Swift
Nothing remarkable occurred in our march through this country.
The Life and Most Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, of York, Mariner (1801)|Daniel Defoe
Just corporeal enough to attest humanity, yet sufficiently transparent to let the celestial origin shine through.
Pearls of Thought|Maturin M. Ballou

British Dictionary definitions for through

through

/ (θruː) /

preposition

going in or starting at one side and coming out or stopping at the other side ofa path through the wood

occupying or visiting several points scattered around in (an area)

as a result of; by means ofthe thieves were captured through his vigilance

mainly US up to and includingMonday through Friday

duringthrough the night

at the end of; having (esp successfully) completed

through with having finished with (esp when dissatisfied with)

adjective

(postpositive) having successfully completed some specified activity

(on a telephone line) connected

(postpositive) no longer able to function successfully in some specified capacityas a journalist, you're through

(prenominal) (of a route, journey, etc) continuous or unbrokena through train

adverb

through some specified thing, place, or period of time

thoroughly; completely

Also: (informal or poetic) thro', (informal or poetic) thro, (chiefly US) thru

Word Origin for through

Old English thurh; related to Old Frisian thruch, Old Saxon thuru, Old High German duruh

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with through

through

In addition to the idioms beginning with through

through and through
through one's hat
through one's head
through one's mind
through rose-colored glasses
through the mill
through the motions
through thick and thin

, see

break through
carry through
come through
come up (through)
cross (pass through) one's mind
fall between (through) the cracks
fall through
follow through
get through
get through one's head
go through
go through channels
go through the motions
go through the roof
jump through hoops
leaf through
let daylight through
let slip (through the fingers)
lie through one's teeth
live through
muddle through
pay through the nose
pull through
put through
put someone through his or her paces
rise through the ranks
run through
sail through
see through
see through rose-colored glasses
sink through the floor
sit out (through)
sleep through
squeak by (through)
squeeze through
talk through one's hat
think through
win through
work one's way into (through)

through

Idioms about through

Origin of through

synonym study for through

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH through

Words nearby through

Words related to through

How to use through in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for through

Word Origin for through

Other Idioms and Phrases with through