through the mill

Idioms  

1. Hardship or rough treatment, as in They put him through the mill, making him work at every one of the machines, or Jane was exhausted; she felt she'd been through the mill. This term alludes to being ground down like grain in a mill. [Late 1800s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

through the mill

Russell has been through the mill this season.

From BBC ● Jun. 28, 2026

You are both relatively young and, while you’ve been through the mill with your health, your wife likely wants to work a few more years for reasons that go beyond mere finances.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 24, 2025

“I hope the finding brings some comfort to them because they’ve all been through the mill and back,” she added.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 24, 2023

You look at him celebrating now with his wife and sons and you know that he went through the mill to get to where he is today.

From BBC ● May 8, 2023

“I’ve been through the mill, now, too,” he said.

From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith