through
through — preposition
1. going in one side or end of a space, object, or barrier and coming out the oppos
going in one side or end of a space, object, or barrier and coming out the opposite side or end
Lakan pushed the needle through the thick fabric and pulled it out the other side.
through + concrete object (fabric)
The old wooden gate creaked as the children ran through it into the garden.
Cold air was leaking through a small crack in the window frame of the bedroom.
Water dripped through the ceiling and left a dark stain on the carpet below.
through + substance (water) + barrier (ceiling)
Joaquín watched the train speed through the station without stopping at the platform.
- go through a door
- pass through a tunnel
- walk through a gate
Grammar Patterns
through + noun phrase
Usage Note
This sense always involves physical movement or penetration from one side of something to the other. The object of 'through' is the thing being crossed or penetrated.
Common Mistakes
2. extending across the full stretch of a timeframe, starting at one moment and con
extending across the full stretch of a timeframe, starting at one moment and continuing until the final moment
Nala stayed awake through the entire movie because the plot was so exciting.
through + entire + noun phrase (the entire movie)
The bakery stays open through the winter months even when few customers come in.
Dahlia worked through the night to finish the report before the morning meeting.
through the night (common collocation)
Rohan studied through the summer vacation while his friends went to the beach.
The city has survived through two major earthquakes in the past fifty years.
- through the night
- through the summer
- through the years
- throughout
stronger emphasis on covering every part of the period
- during
can refer to any point within the period, not necessarily the whole
Grammar Patterns
through + time period
Usage Note
Unlike 'during', which can refer to a point within a period, 'through' implies the entire duration from beginning to end.
Common Mistakes
3. up to and including a particular day, time, or item in a series, with the endpoi
up to and including a particular day, time, or item in a series, with the endpoint counted as part of the range
The store is having a sale from Wednesday through Saturday this week only.
from [start] through [end] (inclusive range pattern)
Students must read chapters one through ten for next Monday's exam.
The museum will be closed from January through March for building repairs.
Otis booked a hotel room from Friday through Sunday for the weekend trip.
- from Monday through Friday
- from January through March
Grammar Patterns
from + start + through + end
Usage Note
Chiefly American English. In British English, 'to' or 'until' is used instead, and the inclusive meaning must be stated separately. Always paired with 'from' when marking a start point.
Common Mistakes
4. used to show what caused something to happen, often referring to an action, proc
used to show what caused something to happen, often referring to an action, process, or situation that led to a result
Talia got the job through hard work and careful preparation for the interview.
through + effort (hard work, dedication)
The company lost a lot of money through poor management decisions last year.
Christopher improved his Spanish through daily practice with native speakers.
Many families lost their homes through no fault of their own during the flood.
through no fault of [one's] own (fixed phrase)
The peace agreement was reached through months of difficult talks between both sides.
- through hard work
- through no fault of
- through experience
- because of
more direct and neutral; works for both positive and negative causes
- due to
more formal, often used in writing
- thanks to
informal and positive
Grammar Patterns
through + noun phrase (cause)
Usage Note
Often used with positive outcomes (success through effort) or neutral causal chains. For purely negative causes, 'because of' or 'due to' may sound more natural in modern English.
Common Mistakes
5. using a particular method, system, or person as a way to achieve or send somethi
using a particular method, system, or person as a way to achieve or send something
Élise booked her flight through an online travel agency that offered good prices.
through + intermediary (agency, contact, system)
The message was sent through a secure email system to protect the patient's information.
Walid found his lost wallet through a kind stranger who returned it to the police.
You can apply for the scholarship through the university website before the deadline.
through + channel (website, system, office)
The charity raises money through donations from local businesses and community members.
- through an agency
- through the mail
- through a contact
Grammar Patterns
through + noun phrase (method)
Usage Note
Distinguish from sense 4 (CAUSE): this sense focuses on the channel or tool used, not the reason. Test it — if you can replace 'through' with 'using' without changing the meaning, it is this sense.
Common Mistakes
through and through
idiomin every way; completely; to the core of one's character
Adisa is a musician through and through — he thinks about music from the moment he wakes up.
through — adjective
1. having reached the end of a task, activity, or relationship; no longer engaged i
having reached the end of a task, activity, or relationship; no longer engaged in something
Joon was finally through with his homework after three hours of solving math problems.
be through with + noun (task)
When you are through with the magazine, please pass it to your sister.
The mechanic said he would be through with the car repairs by five o'clock.
After the argument, Rohan told his roommate that they were through living together.
be through (meaning a relationship is over)
- be through with
- get through with
- busy
still engaged in the activity
Grammar Patterns
be + through (with something)
Usage Note
Used only after a form of 'be' (predicative position). 'Through' in this sense cannot go before a noun — you cannot say 'a through student'. Often followed by 'with' when specifying what is finished.
Common Mistakes
2. having satisfied all conditions in a test, contest, or screening and earned the
having satisfied all conditions in a test, contest, or screening and earned the right to advance further in the process
Nala was through to the final round after beating the top seed in tennis.
be through to + next stage (final, next round)
Only three teams are through to the championship game after the semifinal matches ended.
Christopher is through to the interview stage of the job application process.
Adisa could not believe he was through to the next level of the music competition.
- be through to the finals
- be through to the next round
- eliminated
removed from the competition
Grammar Patterns
be + through (to something)
Usage Note
Followed by 'to' to indicate the next stage. This sense is commonly used in sports, exams, and competitive selection contexts.
Common Mistakes
3. referring to a train, bus, flight, or route that covers the whole journey betwee
referring to a train, bus, flight, or route that covers the whole journey between its origin and destination without forcing travelers to change vehicles
A through train runs daily from London to Edinburgh without any stops in between.
through train / through bus (attributive use before noun)
Passengers on the through flight do not need to change planes at any airport.
The travel agent recommended a through bus that goes straight to the coastal resort town.
Otis bought a through ticket to travel from Boston to Chicago without switching trains.
- through train
- through bus
- through flight
- through ticket
- direct
more common and less formal; 'direct train' and 'through train' are often interchangeable
- connecting
requires a change of vehicle
Grammar Patterns
through + noun (transport type)
Usage Note
This sense is used only before a noun (attributive position), unlike the other adjective senses. Common in transport and travel contexts.
Common Mistakes
through — adverb
1. from one side or end to the other, passing across the full space of something
from one side or end to the other, passing across the full space of something
The gate was locked, so the cat squeezed through and ran into the yard.
verb + through (squeeze through, push through)
The bullet went clean through and lodged itself in the wooden wall behind.
Dahlia held the card up to the light and could see the watermark showing through.
The road was blocked by snow, so no cars could get through to the village.
get through (phrasal meaning: pass an obstacle)
- go through
- get through
- come through
- push through
Grammar Patterns
verb + through
all the way through
Usage Note
In this adverb sense, 'through' follows a verb and does not take an object. The barrier or space being crossed is understood from context.
Common Mistakes
2. from the beginning to the end of an activity, performance, or piece of text with
from the beginning to the end of an activity, performance, or piece of text without stopping
Élise read the letter all the way through before she said anything about it.
all the way through (emphatic form)
The audience sat through the long play even though many of them were tired.
Christopher listened to the entire album through without skipping a single song.
Joon watched the documentary through and learned a lot about ocean pollution.
verb + through (watch through, read through, listen through)
- read something through
- sit through
- all the way through
- completely
can replace 'through' in some contexts but is broader in meaning
Grammar Patterns
read/listen/work + all the way through
Usage Note
Often paired with 'all the way' for emphasis. Unlike 'through' as a preposition (sense TIME SPAN), this adverb does not take an object — the activity is implied.
Common Mistakes
3. to the point where something is finished, completed, or successfully done
to the point where something is finished, completed, or successfully done
Talia promised to stay at the office until she was through with the project.
be through (meaning: finished working)
The team worked all weekend and finally got through with the software update.
Once Walid is through with his training, he will start working at the hospital.
Lakan was through with the cleaning by noon and went out to meet his friends.
- be through with
- get through with
Grammar Patterns
be/get + through
Usage Note
Predominantly used with 'be' or 'get'. The 'with' phrase is optional when the context makes the task clear ('I'm through!' means 'I'm done!').
Common Mistakes
4. to the fullest degree; in every part or aspect of something, leaving no part una
to the fullest degree; in every part or aspect of something, leaving no part unaffected
Samira is a painter through and through — she sees colors and shapes everywhere she goes.
through and through (fixed phrase meaning completely)
The wood was rotten through and through and crumbled at the slightest touch.
Omar is a teacher through and through, patient with every student who struggles in class.
The old blanket was soaked through and through after being left out in the rain.
- through and through
- completely
standard and widely applicable
- entirely
slightly more formal
Grammar Patterns
through and through
Usage Note
Almost always used in the fixed phrase 'through and through'. The doubled form intensifies the meaning — it is not a repetition for style but a fixed expression of totality.
Common Mistakes
Word family
- throughoutpreposition / adverbB1
- breakthroughnounC1
- pass-throughnounC1
Synonym discussion
Sense: preposition/1
All three words describe movement or connection between two points, but they differ in the kind of space involved. 'Through' is used when something enters and exits a three-dimensional space (a room, a tunnel, a crowd). 'Across' describes movement over a surface or flat area (a field, a street, a river), without entering the interior. 'Via' is the most formal and focuses on the route or stopping point rather than the nature of the space — you travel via Paris, but you walk through Paris. For physical movement: use 'through' for enclosed spaces, 'across' for open surfaces, and 'via' for routes with named stops.
Common collocations
Nouns
- through train
- through traffic
- through ticket
- through hole
Adverbs
- right through
- straight through
- all the way through
Phrases
- be through with
- through and through
- get through to
Prepositions
- through to
Etymology
The word comes from Old English 'thurh', which traces back to a Proto-Germanic root shared with German 'durch' and Dutch 'door'. Its earliest meaning was purely spatial — going from one side to the other of a physical barrier. Over the centuries, English speakers extended this core idea into time (through the night), cause (through hard work), and method (through an agent). The adjective and adverb uses developed from the preposition, keeping the core sense of completion or full passage.