through (through)

preposition & adverb

• 1moving in one side and out of the other side of (an opening, channel, or location): [as preposition]: stepping boldly through the doorway [as adverb]: as soon as we opened the gate they came streaming through
• so as to make a hole or opening in (a physical object): [as preposition]: the lorry smashed through a brick wall [as adverb]: a cucumber, slit, but not right through
• moving around or from one side to the other within (a crowd or group): [as preposition]: making my way through the guests
• so as to be perceived from the other side of (an intervening obstacle): [as preposition]: the sun was streaming in through the window [as adverb]: the glass in the front door where the moonlight streamed through
• [preposition] expressing the position or location of something beyond or at the far end of (an opening or an obstacle): the approach to the church is through a gate
• expressing the extent of turning from one orientation to another: [as preposition]: each joint can move through an angle within fixed limits

• 2continuing in time towards completion of (a process or period): [as preposition]: the goal came midway through the second half [as adverb]: to struggle through until pay day
• so as to complete (a particular stage or trial) successfully: [as preposition]: she had come through her sternest test [as adverb]: I will struggle through alone rather than ask for help
• from beginning to end of (an experience or activity, typically a tedious or stressful one): [as preposition]: we sat through some very boring speeches she’s been through a bad time [as adverb]: Karl will see you through, Ingrid

• 3so as to inspect all or part of (a collection, inventory, or publication): [as preposition]: flipping through the pages of a notebook [as adverb]: she read the letter through carefully

• 4 [preposition] North American up to and including (a particular point in an ordered sequence): they will be in London from March 24 through May 7

• 5 [preposition] by means of (a process or intermediate stage): dioxins get into mothers' milk through contaminated food
• by means of (an intermediary or agent): seeking justice through the proper channels

• 6 [adverb] so as to be connected by telephone: he put a call through to the Naturalists' Trust Office

adjective

• 1 [attributive] (with reference to public transport) continuing or valid to the final destination: a through train from London
• (of traffic) passing from one side of a place to another in the course of a longer journey: precincts from which through traffic would be excluded
• (of a road) open at both ends, allowing free passage from one end to the other: the village lies on a busy through road

• 2 [attributive] (of a room) running the whole length of a building.

• 3 [predic.] (of a team or competitor) having successfully passed to the next stage of a competition: Swindon Town are through to the third round

• 4 [predic.] informal having no prospect of any future relationship, dealings, or success: she told him she was through with him you and I are through