Phrasal verbs combine a verb with a particle (preposition or adverb) to create expressions with meanings that often differ from the original verb.
This article explores 100 phrasal verbs using “through” – a particle that typically conveys the idea of movement from one side to another, completion, or thoroughness.
1-10: Movement and passage
Go through
To move from one side to another side of something.
“We went through the tunnel to reach the other side.”
Pass through
To move across or traverse an area.
“The storm passed through our town quickly.”
Walk through
To move on foot from one end to another.
“We walked through the park on our way home.”
Drive through
To travel by vehicle across or via.
“We drove through three states on our road trip.”
Cut through
To take a shorter route across.
“Let’s cut through the alley to save time.”
Break through
To force a way through a barrier.
“The sunlight broke through the clouds.”
Push through
To force a way forward.
“He pushed through the crowd to reach the exit.”
Filter through
To pass gradually through something.
“Light filtered through the curtains.”
Seep through
To flow slowly through small openings.
“Water was seeping through cracks in the ceiling.”
Slip through
To pass quickly or unnoticed.
“The thief slipped through the security system.”
11-20: Examination and investigation
Look through
To examine contents hastily.
“She looked through her notes before the exam.”
Go through
To examine systematically.
“The lawyer went through the contract carefully.”
Read through
To read from beginning to end.
“I read through the entire book in one sitting.”
Sift through
To examine carefully to find something.
“Police sifted through evidence at the crime scene.”
Thumb through
To flip pages quickly.
“She thumbed through the magazine while waiting.”
Leaf through
To turn pages of a book quickly.
“He leafed through the catalog looking for gift ideas.”
Flip through
To turn pages rapidly.
“I flipped through the newspaper during breakfast.”
Scan through
To look at quickly to find information.
“She scanned through the report for key data.”
Sort through
To organize or examine systematically.
“We spent the weekend sorting through old photographs.”
Rummage through
To search by moving things around.
“He rummaged through his drawers looking for his passport.”
21-30: Completion and success
See through
To continue to the end; or to detect deception.
“She saw through the difficult project despite obstacles.”
“I saw through his lies immediately.”
Follow through
To complete something started.
“It’s important to follow through on your commitments.”
Carry through
To complete successfully.
“His determination carried him through the challenge.”
Pull through
To recover from illness or difficulty.
“The doctor said he would pull through after the surgery.”
Get through
To finish or complete.
“We finally got through all the paperwork.”
Make it through
To survive or endure.
“We made it through the difficult winter.”
Struggle through
To complete with difficulty.
“She struggled through the complex assignment.”
Muddle through
To manage despite confusion.
“Without clear instructions, we muddled through somehow.”
Power through
To complete with determination despite difficulty.
“He powered through the marathon despite his injury.”
Push through
To force completion despite obstacles.
“The team pushed through to meet the deadline.”
31-40: Communication and understanding
Get through
To make contact by phone or other means.
“I tried calling but couldn’t get through to her.”
Put through
To connect a telephone call.
“The receptionist put me through to the manager.”
Come through
To be received clearly.
“Your message came through loud and clear.”
Break through
To succeed in communication despite barriers.
“The teacher finally broke through to the struggling student.”
Talk through
To discuss thoroughly.
“Let’s talk through all the options before deciding.”
Think through
To consider all aspects.
“I need time to think through this problem.”
Work through
To solve or deal with by careful thought.
“They worked through their differences in counseling.”
Reason through
To solve by logical thinking.
“She reasoned through the complex ethical dilemma.”
Walk through
To explain in detail step by step.
“The instructor walked us through the procedure.”
Lead through
To guide systematically.
“He led us through the complex legal process.”
41-50: Emotional and physical experiences
Go through
To experience something.
“She went through a difficult divorce last year.”
Live through
To experience and survive.
“My grandparents lived through the Great Depression.”
Suffer through
To endure something unpleasant.
“We suffered through a boring three-hour presentation.”
Sit through
To remain present for the duration of something.
“I couldn’t sit through another minute of that movie.”
Endure through
To persist despite hardship.
“Their love endured through many challenges.”
Persevere through
To continue despite difficulties.
“She persevered through years of setbacks.”
Get through to
To affect emotionally.
“The inspirational speech really got through to me.”
Break through
To overcome emotional barriers.
“Therapy helped him break through his emotional walls.”
Work through
To process emotions or problems.
“She’s still working through her grief.”
Push through
To endure physical discomfort or pain.
“He pushed through the pain to finish the race.”
51-60: Permission and approval
Get through
To be approved or accepted.
“The proposal finally got through the committee.”
Put through
To cause something to be approved.
“They put through legislation to address the issue.”
Push through
To force approval despite opposition.
“The government pushed through controversial reforms.”
Rush through
To hurry the approval process.
“The bill was rushed through parliament.”
Slip through
To be approved without proper scrutiny.
“The error slipped through quality control.”
Sail through
To pass easily.
“She sailed through the interview process.”
Breeze through
To complete easily and quickly.
“He breezed through the entrance exam.”
Scrape through
To pass barely.
“I scraped through my final exams.”
Squeeze through
To pass with difficulty.
“The legislation squeezed through by a single vote.”
Wave through
To allow to pass without care.
“Security just waved us through without checking ID.”
61-70: Transparency and discovery
See through
To perceive the true nature.
“I can see through your excuses.”
Look through
To ignore as if transparent.
“She looked right through me as if I wasn’t there.”
Shine through
To be clearly visible or evident.
“Her talent shines through in everything she does.”
Come through
To become evident.
“His leadership qualities came through during the crisis.”
Show through
To be visible through something.
“Her disappointment showed through her forced smile.”
Peer through
To look intently through something.
“He peered through the fog trying to see the road.”
Gaze through
To look steadily through.
“She gazed through the window at the falling snow.”
Stare through
To look fixedly through.
“He stared through the microscope at the specimen.”
Glance through
To look briefly through.
“I only had time to glance through the report.”
Break through
To surpass limits or barriers.
“The scientists broke through to a new understanding.”
71-80: Planning and learning
Think through
To consider all aspects.
“I need to think through all the implications.”
Plan through
To create a thorough plan.
“We need to plan through each stage of the project.”
Work through
To complete systematically.
“Let’s work through these problems one by one.”
Go through
To explain or teach.
“The teacher went through the solution with us.”
Walk through
To demonstrate step by step.
“Could you walk me through this process again?”
Talk through
To discuss in detail.
“Let’s talk through your concerns about the project.”
Lead through
To guide with explanation.
“The manual leads you through the installation.”
Run through
To practice quickly.
“Let’s run through your presentation once more.”
Learn through
To acquire knowledge by means of.
“Children often learn through play.”
Progress through
To advance in stages.
“Students progress through the curriculum at different rates.”
81-90: Resources and consumption
Go through
To use up.
“We went through our budget faster than expected.”
Get through
To consume.
“We got through a lot of coffee during exam week.”
Run through
To use up quickly.
“She ran through her inheritance in just one year.”
Work through
To use gradually.
“The construction crew worked through their supplies.”
Burn through
To consume rapidly.
“The startup burned through their investment capital.”
Cut through
To reduce or eliminate.
“The new policy cuts through unnecessary bureaucracy.”
Sort through
To organize resources.
“We need to sort through our inventory.”
Rifle through
To search quickly and carelessly.
“She rifled through her purse looking for her keys.”
Churn through
To process large amounts.
“The computer churns through data at incredible speeds.”
Cycle through
To go through a repeating process.
“The washing machine cycles through various wash settings.”
91-100: Miscellaneous uses
Break through
To reach a new level of success.
“The band broke through with their third album.”
Come through
To fulfill a promise or obligation.
“He always comes through when you need him.”
Sleep through
To remain asleep during something.
“I slept through the thunderstorm.”
Sit through
To attend from beginning to end, often in discomfort.
“I had to sit through another boring meeting.”
Live through
To exist during a particular time or event.
“He lived through many historical changes.”
Last through
To continue until the end.
“The batteries lasted through the entire camping trip.”
Make it through
To survive or endure.
“We’ll make it through this difficult time together.”
Fall through
To fail to materialize, especially plans.
“Our vacation plans fell through when flights were canceled.”
Bleed through
To penetrate from one side to another, often referring to ink or color.
“The ink bled through the thin paper.”
Follow through
To complete an action, especially in a consistent or thorough manner.
“His golf swing improved once he learned to follow through properly.”
Phrasal verbs with “through” typically convey ideas of movement, completion, thoroughness, or persistence. Mastering these expressions will significantly enhance your English fluency and comprehension. The particle “through” creates versatile combinations that are essential for both everyday conversation and formal communication. Practice using these phrasal verbs in context to strengthen your command of idiomatic English.
