Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

through and through

Idioms  

  1. In every part or aspect, throughout. For example, I was wet through and through, or He was a success through and through. This idiom originally was used to indicate literally penetration, as by a sword. The figurative usage was first recorded in 1410.

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.

He is United through and through, so will know the task in hand and will not be afraid to make hard decisions.

From BBC • Jan. 7, 2026

But the way Stoppard incorporates mathematical concepts as rarefied as fractal geometry to explore concepts of order and chaos as the characters hypothesize on the patterns of time is Stoppardian through and through.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 30, 2025

He said he was "BBC through and through", and cares deeply about the corporation and wants it to succeed.

From BBC • Nov. 9, 2025

And Susan Collins is a Republican, through and through.

From Slate • Feb. 13, 2025

The old man was a creature of the library through and through.

From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor

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.