through.
From one side or end of (something) to the other.
Meaning & usage
From one side or end of (something) to the other. So as to enter (something), pass within or across, and then leave.
I drove through Lausanne on my way from Geneva to Zurich.
The bullet went right through his leg.
From one side or end of (something) to the other. So as to progress within (something) or towards the end or limit of (something).
The virus broke out in the capital city and is now spreading quickly through the country.
I'm working through this box set of the TV series 'Downton Abbey'.
From one side or end of (something) to the other. From one side of (an opening) to the other.
Go straight ahead and through that door.
Look through the window.
From one side or end of (something) to the other. To or beyond the other side of (an obstacle); past.
I hope to start in the autumn, but I've got to get through the interview first.
The finance bill did not get through Congress.
From one side or end of (something) to the other. Indicating that something has been consumed or used up.
Have you got through all those chocolates already?!
The company went through its £100m startup investment in six months.
From one side or end of (something) to the other. Along the course of; used in expressions of progress towards the end of something.
We're halfway through the year.
From one side or end of (something) to the other. Throughout the duration of.
He worked through the night.
I never want to sit through another meeting like that again.
Via or by way of. By way of (a physical passage).
The hot water enters through this pipe.
Via or by way of. By way of (an intermediary, agent, medium, etc.).
I met her through a friend of mine.
This matter was dealt with through our London office.
Throughout or across the extent of.
There are errors all through this report.
Work the eggs and sugar through the mixture.
Amidst or surrounded by (while moving).
We slogged through the mud for hours before turning back and giving up.
The arrow flew through the air.
To (or up to) and including, with all intermediate values; to... inclusive; until the end of.
from 1945 through 1991; the numbers 1 through 9; your membership is active through March 15, 2013
The plural is "oyesses", but "oyes" vied with "oyez" through about the first half of the nineteenth century.
By means of.
This team believes in winning through intimidation.
He's got to where he is today through sheer hard work and determination.
In consequence of; as a result of.
The project failed through lack of investment.
Where this word comes from
From Middle English thrugh, thruch, thruh, metathetic variants of thurgh, thurh, from Old English þurh, from Proto-Germanic *þurhw (“through”), from Proto-Indo-European *tr̥h₂kʷe, suffixed zero-grade from *terh₂- (“to pass through”) + *-kʷe (“and”). Cognates Cognate with North Frisian döör (“through”), Saterland Frisian truch (“through”), West Frisian troch (“through”), Dutch door (“through”), German durch (“through”), Luxembourgish duerch (“through”), West Flemish deur (“through”), Yiddish דורך (durkh, “through”), Gothic 𐌸𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌷 (þairh, “through”), Latin trans (“across, over, through”), Albanian tërthor (“through, around”), Welsh tra (“through”). See also thorough.
Passing from one side of something to the other.
Interstate highways form a nationwide system of through roads.
Finished; complete.
They were through with laying the subroof by noon.
Along the course of a task etc.; used in expressions of progress towards the end.
It's a big job but we're halfway through.
Without a future; done for.
After being implicated in the scandal, he was through as an executive in financial services.
No longer interested; wearied or turned off by experience.
She was through with him.
Proceeding from origin to destination without the need to change transport vehicle.
The through flight through Memphis was the fastest.
When is the next through train to London?
Connected (to someone) by telephone.
You're through to the doctor now.
In possession of the ball beyond the last line of defence but not necessarily the goalkeeper; through on goal.
(usually followed by "to") Able to progress (to the next stage or a higher level) following success in an exam, sports match, etc.
Manchester United are through to the FA Cup Final for the thirteenth time.
Where this word comes from
From Middle English thrugh, thruch, thruh, metathetic variants of thurgh, thurh, from Old English þurh, from Proto-Germanic *þurhw (“through”), from Proto-Indo-European *tr̥h₂kʷe, suffixed zero-grade from *terh₂- (“to pass through”) + *-kʷe (“and”). Cognates Cognate with North Frisian döör (“through”), Saterland Frisian truch (“through”), West Frisian troch (“through”), Dutch door (“through”), German durch (“through”), Luxembourgish duerch (“through”), West Flemish deur (“through”), Yiddish דורך (durkh, “through”), Gothic 𐌸𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌷 (þairh, “through”), Latin trans (“across, over, through”), Albanian tërthor (“through, around”), Welsh tra (“through”). See also thorough.
From one side of something to the other. By way of the interior.
The arrow went straight through.
I didn't like the look of the place, so I drove through without stopping.
From one side of something to the other. By way of an opening.
I opened the window and climbed through.
From one side of something to the other. So as to overcome an obstacle and pass beyond it; past.
The road is blocked by an overturned truck, and cars can't pass through.
The American army broke through at Saint-Lô.
So as to pass a stage in a process and proceed to the next stage or level.
The bill will be tabled tomorrow, but I doubt that it will be voted through.
She progressed through to the final round of the competition.
From beginning to end, or from the present position to the end.
Others went to bed for the night; he worked straight through.
She read the letter through.
Throughout something; all the way across or into something.
Leave the yarn in the dye overnight so the color soaks through.
So as to connect with or reach.
I had difficulty reaching the commander, but eventually my call was routed through.
Where this word comes from
From Middle English thrugh, thruch, thruh, metathetic variants of thurgh, thurh, from Old English þurh, from Proto-Germanic *þurhw (“through”), from Proto-Indo-European *tr̥h₂kʷe, suffixed zero-grade from *terh₂- (“to pass through”) + *-kʷe (“and”). Cognates Cognate with North Frisian döör (“through”), Saterland Frisian truch (“through”), West Frisian troch (“through”), Dutch door (“through”), German durch (“through”), Luxembourgish duerch (“through”), West Flemish deur (“through”), Yiddish דורך (durkh, “through”), Gothic 𐌸𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌷 (þairh, “through”), Latin trans (“across, over, through”), Albanian tërthor (“through, around”), Welsh tra (“through”). See also thorough.
A coffin, sarcophagus or tomb of stone; a large slab of stone laid on a tomb, or in a dry-stone wall from one side to the other; a perpend.
Where this word comes from
From Middle English thrugh, þrouȝ, throgh, from Old English þrūh (“trough, conduit, pipe; box, chest; coffin, tomb”), from Proto-Germanic *þrūhs (“hollowed-out wood”), from Proto-Indo-European *terh₃u- (“to rub, turn, drill, bore”). Not directly related with German Truhe (“chest”), which belongs to the root of English trough. However, these two Germanic roots seem to have influenced each other early on.
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Definitions, grammatical labels, IPA, etymology and examples: Wiktionary contributors, extracted by Kaikki / Wiktextract. Adapted under CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected fields and authored examples are shown; third-party quotations and audio are omitted. See contributor history.
Last enriched 2026-09-10. Definitions are in English. Romanizations are shown when supplied by the source; syllable estimates are omitted for unsupported scripts.