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.
Idioms for 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 by1.
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