through

1 of 3

preposition

1
a(1)
used as a function word to indicate movement into at one side or point and out at another and especially the opposite side of
drove a nail through the board
(2)
: by way of
left through the door
(3)
used as a function word to indicate passage from one end or boundary to another
a highway through the forest
a road through the desert
(4)
: without stopping for : past
drove through a red light
b
used as a function word to indicate passage into and out of a treatment, handling, or process
the matter has already passed through her hands
2
used as a function word to indicate means, agency, or intermediacy: such as
a
: by means of : by the agency of
b
: because of
failed through ignorance
c
: by common descent from or relationship with
related through their grandfather
3
a
: over the whole surface or extent of : throughout
homes scattered through the valley
b
used as a function word to indicate movement within a large expanse
flew through the air
c
used as a function word to indicate exposure to a specified set of conditions
put him through hell
4
used as a function word to indicate a period of time: such as
a
: during the entire period of
all through her life
b
: from the beginning to the end of
the tower stood through the earthquake
c
: to and including
Monday through Friday
5
a
used as a function word to indicate completion or exhaustion
got through the book
went through the money in a year
b
used as a function word to indicate acceptance or approval especially by an official body
got the bill through the legislature

through

2 of 3

adverb

1
: from one end or side to the other
2
a
: from beginning to end
b
: to completion, conclusion, or accomplishment
see it through
3
: to the core : completely
soaked through
4
: into the open : out
break through

through

3 of 3

adjective

1
a
: arrived at completion or accomplishment
is through with the job
2
a
: admitting free or continuous passage : direct
a through road
b
: extending from one surface to another
a through mortise
3
a
: initiated at and destined for points outside a local zone
through traffic
b(1)
: going from point of origin to destination without change or reshipment
a through train
(2)
: of or relating to such movement
a through ticket

Examples of through in a Sentence

Preposition He hit the nail through the wood. She looked through the binoculars. The bullet had gone through his hand. He just walked through the door. The security guards pushed their way through the crowd. She could see a figure through the fog. I looked through the window. Adverb Let these people go through, please. The nail went completely through. It snowed heavily, but we made it through. We'll never get through—the mud is too deep. The package was shipped through to New Orleans. Read the essay through and tell me what you think. Adjective When the police were through with him, a taxi took him, his suitcase, the homburg funeral hat, in the other direction … Annie Proulx, Atlantic, November 1997
I tell him I like fanzines. This one's mad, he says, really mad. I can borrow it when he's through. Lynne Tillman, Motion Sickness, 1991
Today though, once experience shows on a woman's face, she's through. Patricia Volk, New Woman, November 1990
I'm not through yet. I have one more topic to discuss. If you're through using the phone, I'd like to use it next. Is this a through road? The left lane is for through traffic only.
Recent Examples on the Web
Preposition
Business hours are from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Mondays; 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Tuesday through Friday; and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday through Sunday. Brianna Taylor, Sacramento Bee, 25 Mar. 2024 Timothée Chalamet was freewheelin’ through New York City while filming the upcoming Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown – in which the actor will star as the famed folk singer – on Sunday (March 24). Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 25 Mar. 2024 By the end of the finale, this clan will have scattered even further, passing through five different continents over seven years of exile, imprisonment and other struggles. Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Mar. 2024 This effect is especially powerful at night, for example when the inner light of the 71 heading downtown from Westwood passes through Beverly Hills, accenting the ruby red glamour of the Beverly Hilton sign and spotlighting the Waldorf Astoria’s platinum one. Mark Gozonsky, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2024 Along the way, he’s steered his company through multiple major pivots. Michal Lev-Ram, Fortune, 25 Mar. 2024 And yet Few steered the Zags through turbulent waters to a familiar harbor on the second weekend of the NCAAs. Jon Wilner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Mar. 2024 Paved paths wind through the trees and partially around the 4½ acre lake, which draws geese, ducks and turtles. Barbara Ruben, Washington Post, 13 Mar. 2024 That said, there have been several attempts to close the wage gap through government policy, each with varying levels of success. Anne Marie Lee, CBS News, 13 Mar. 2024
Adverb
Everything from steak bites to chocolate delights was passed about throughout the evening, and midway through, people noticed there was an entire second floor, one of the massive lounge areas and private dressing rooms about which to mingle upstairs. Jamila Stewart, Vogue, 10 Mar. 2024 Have the victims been identified? As of Saturday morning, none of the victims' names had been released by the Clark County Sheriff's Office. Law enforcement officials told Twin Cities television station KSTP that none of the victims are from the area and were just passing through. Drew Dawson, Journal Sentinel, 9 Mar. 2024 The militants used drones to drop explosives onto the observation towers, blew holes in the border fence with explosives and bulldozers to smash open gaps large enough to allow vehicles to roll through. John Bacon, USA TODAY, 7 Mar. 2024 Dozens of other mergers were allowed to go through. The Editors, National Review, 4 Mar. 2024 Wind will also begin to pick up as this storm moves through. Nicholas Merianos, CBS News, 1 Mar. 2024 The new film, co-written by Jon Spaihts, still doesn’t make it all the way through. Peter Rainer, The Christian Science Monitor, 29 Feb. 2024 The movie sees this question all the way through, multitasking their relationship along with Ivo’s other responsibilities. Peter Debruge, Variety, 28 Feb. 2024 There were no congratulations or official apology, just a warning that the paperwork would take a few days to go through. Harriet Ryan, Los Angeles Times, 28 Feb. 2024
Adjective
But that’s the universal struggle and the only way is through. Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Feb. 2024 On a recent drive through the area, cars were parked in the bus-only lane, while other vehicles blocked a through-lane on Pennsylvania Avenue. Courtland Milloy, Washington Post, 16 May 2023 When facing hard challenges, the only way out is through, and the best way through is to be informed and awake. Paul Buccieri, Variety, 16 Feb. 2023 The plan is to maintain the rural property, with its creeks, grassy hills and oak woodlands, in its current, largely natural state and eventually build a through-trail for hikers. Kurtis Alexander, San Francisco Chronicle, 5 Apr. 2023 But with anything in life, the only way is through. Alexis Jones, Peoplemag, 29 Mar. 2023 Anthony latched onto a through ball with three minutes left in double overtime, beat two Moeller defenders and slotted home the winning goal to send the Eagles to their first state appearance in school history. Brendan Connelly, The Enquirer, 10 Nov. 2022 Pomykal played a through ball into the box as Ferreira started his run. Jon Arnold, Dallas News, 24 July 2022 The Pride had a scoring opportunity in the 16th minute on a defense-splitting run from forward Darian Jenkins, who was targeted by midfielder Erika Tymrak with a through ball into the penalty area. Wire Reports, Orlando Sentinel, 18 July 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'through.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Preposition, Adverb, and Adjective

Middle English thurh, thruh, through, from Old English thurh; akin to Old High German durh through, Latin trans across, beyond, Sanskrit tarati he crosses over

First Known Use

Preposition

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Adverb

before the 13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of through was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near through

Cite this Entry

“Through.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/through. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

through

1 of 3 preposition
1
a
: in at one side and out at the opposite side of
drove through the town
b
: by way of
left through the window
c
: in the midst of : among
a path through the trees
d
: without stopping for
drove through a red light
2
a
: by means of
succeeded through hard work
b
: because of
failed through lack of planning
3
: over the whole of
all through the country
4
a
: from the beginning to the end of : during
worked through the summer
b
: to and including
Monday through Friday
5
a
: to a point of completion or exhaustion in
got through the book
b
: to a state of official acceptance or approval
got the bill through the legislature

through

2 of 3 adverb
ˈthrü
1
a
: from one end or side to the other
let these people go through, please
b
: over the whole distance
shipped through to Des Moines
2
a
: from beginning to end
read the book through at one sitting
b
: to completion, conclusion, or accomplishment
see the job through
3
: in or to every part : completely
wet through
4
: into the open : out
break through

through

3 of 3 adjective
ˈthrü
1
: allowing free or continuous passage
a through road
2
: going from point of origin to destination without changes or transfers
a through train
3
: coming from and going to points outside a local area
a lane for through traffic only
4
: having reached the end
is through with the job
Etymology

Preposition

Old English thurh "through" — related to thorough, thrill see Word History at thrill

More from Merriam-Webster on through

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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