through

through [ θru ] function word ***

Through can be used in the following ways:

as a preposition (followed by a noun):

They were riding through a forest.

as an adverb (without a following noun):

There's a hole in the roof where the rain comes through.

as an adjective:

a through train

1. ) from one end or side of something to the other

a ) into one end of a passage, tube, pipe, etc. and along it toward the other end:

The train runs through a tunnel.

Some pipes were almost blocked, so that hardly any water was trickling through.

b ) from one side of a window, door, gate, etc. to the other side of it:

She was watching him through the kitchen window.

The man at the gate would not let us through.

The men raced the stolen car through an army checkpoint at 100 mph.

You could feel the wind whistling through tiny cracks in the wall.

c ) making a hole in something or cutting it into pieces:

A workman was drilling through the concrete wall.

The soles of his shoes were nearly worn through in places.

Workers had cut through an electrical cable while they were digging.

d ) across an area or space, or between a group of things:

Maynard spent a year traveling through Europe and Asia.

The path climbs steeply through the trees.

A tiny explosion sent sparks flying through the air.

2. ) during all of a period of time

a ) during all of a period of time until the end of it:

Only one hotel remained open through the year.

all through: He lay awake all through the night.

the whole day/night/year etc. through: They worked the whole day through.

through to (=all the time until): The training program will continue through to mid-April.

b ) Monday through Friday/July through December etc. AMERICAN from Monday until the end of Friday/from July until the end of December etc.:

the period from February 1 through June 30

3. ) by means of something

a ) by means of a particular method or experience:

skills that we can only learn through experience

Through hard work and determination the team has achieved remarkable success.

b ) using a particular system, service, or person:

Concert tickets are being sold through the Internet.

Woods issued a statement through his agent.

c ) if you know or hear of something through another person, they told you about it after hearing it from someone else:

I heard through a friend of Caroline's that there's been trouble in the family.

4. ) to the end of a bad or difficult experience

a ) experiencing an unpleasant situation until it ends:

I've been going through hell these last six months, waiting for the trial.

women who had lived through the horror and suffering of war

b ) successfully reaching the end of a difficult situation or period:

The pain was terrible, but he pulled through when most other men would have died.

We have come through the struggle stronger and more united than we were before.

5. ) finished

a ) having finished an activity or piece of work:

I'm not sure what time he'll be through with his meeting.

Only one more letter to write. I'm nearly through.

b ) be through with something to have finished using something:

Let me know when you're through with the hairdryer.

c ) be through (with someone) to have ended a relationship:

I've told Larry I'm through with him, but he keeps bothering me.

d ) be through with something to have decided to stop doing something that you used to do:

Are you through with politics?

6. ) communicating with someone by phone used for saying that you are connected to someone by phone:

be/get through: I tried to call the mayor's office, but I couldn't get through.

put someone through (=connect someone to someone else by phone): Can you put me through to Mr. Hearst, please?

7. ) completely

a ) through and through used for saying that someone has all the qualities of a particular type of person:

He was obviously a city kid through and through.

That woman's evil through and through.

b ) cooked/warmed/heated through thoroughly cooked/warmed/heated:

Roast the chicken until it is cooked through.

8. ) affecting every part affecting every part of someone or something:

A rumor spread through the camp.

Problems extend through the entire system.

When she heard Bruno's voice, it sent a chill of terror through her.

9. ) because of happening because of someone or something:

Most accidents occur through human error.

In 1986 Professor Lowe retired through ill health.

10. ) passing an examination or test if you get through an examination or test, you succeed in passing it:

I'm no good at languages, so I'd never get through the exam.

He took his driving test for the third time and just managed to scrape through.

11. ) accepted by a legislature if a proposal goes through a legislature, it is accepted by it and becomes law:

Congress pushed through very large increases in AIDS funding.

An anti-terrorism bill was rushed through parliament.

12. ) reading or looking at every part reading or looking at every part of something, from the beginning to the end of it:

You'd better read through the instructions carefully.

Christina hastily flicked through her diary.

I've been searching through all the files, but I can't find Hamilton's letter.

13. ) as far as a place, stage, or level

1

a ) if a train, bus, etc. goes through to a particular town, it goes as far as that town:

through to: Does this bus go through to Santa Fe?

1

b ) successfully reaching a person or place:

In spite of the terrible weather one plane managed to get through.

1

c ) as far as a particular stage or level:

through to: The course takes students through to university level.

14. ) using all of something used for saying that a large amount of something is used during a period of time:

go/work through: We seem to be going through two or three boxes of tissues a day.

half-way/part-way through

in the middle of an activity, process, or period of time:

Work stopped half-way through the project when the funding ran out.

show/shine/come through

if a quality in someone's character shows/shines/comes through, people can see it in the way that person behaves, speaks, or writes:

There was a quality of simplicity that shone through in her life and letters.

a through train/ticket

a through train/ticket is one you can use to travel all the way to a place, without changing trains or buying another ticket