put through: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B2Neutral to informal; formal in specific contexts like business ('put through a proposal').
Quick answer
What does “put through” mean?
To cause someone or something to undergo a process, procedure, or experience.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
To cause someone or something to undergo a process, procedure, or experience.
Primarily a phrasal verb with related meanings: 1. To connect someone by telephone. 2. To make someone endure a difficult experience. 3. To process, implement, or cause to be accepted/passed. 4. To financially support someone through education/training.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minimal. Both use all core meanings. 'Put through' for telephone connection is universal. Possibly more frequent in UK for university financial support ('put through uni').
Connotations
The 'endure hardship' meaning can have a slightly more negative connotation in US English (e.g., 'put through the wringer').
Frequency
Equally common in both dialects; a core phrasal verb.
Grammar
How to Use “put through” in a Sentence
NP put NP through NP (e.g., I put the call through to management)NP put NP through (e.g., They put me through to complaints)Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “put through” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- Could you put me through to accounts, please?
- His parents put him through uni.
- The committee put the new regulations through.
American English
- I'll put your call through now.
- She put herself through college by waiting tables.
- The reforms were finally put through Congress.
adverb
British English
- N/A. The phrase does not function as an adverb.
American English
- N/A. The phrase does not function as an adverb.
adjective
British English
- The put-through rate for calls was very high.
- N/A for the phrase as a single adjective.
American English
- We measure the put-through time for transactions.
- N/A for the phrase as a single adjective.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Common for telephone connections ('I'll put you through now') and processing transactions/proposals ('We put the deal through last week').
Academic
Used in discussing implementing policies or supporting students financially.
Everyday
Frequent for phone calls and describing difficult experiences ('My boss put me through hell').
Technical
Limited; can be used in telecom contexts ('putting a signal through a filter').
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “put through”
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “put through”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “put through”
- Using 'put through' without an object (*'I will put through now').
- Confusing with 'go through' (which is intransitive and about experiencing).
- Incorrect word order: 'put through it the candidate' instead of 'put the candidate through it'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is neutral. It's perfectly acceptable in formal business communication (e.g., 'put the proposal through the approval process'), but the 'endure hardship' meaning is more informal.
'Put through' is transitive (someone puts someone/something through something). 'Go through' is intransitive (someone goes through something). Example: 'My boss put me through a review' (boss caused it) vs. 'I went through a review' (I experienced it).
Yes, in contexts like processing or implementation. 'The system put the payment through successfully' means it processed and completed it.
Yes. You can say 'Put the call through' or 'Put through the call,' though the former (pronoun object in the middle) is more common, especially with pronouns: 'Put me through' (not 'Put through me').
To cause someone or something to undergo a process, procedure, or experience.
Put through: in British English it is pronounced /ˌpʊt ˈθruː/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌpʊt ˈθruː/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “put through the mill/wringer (to subject to a severe test or ordeal)”
- “put through hoops (to make someone do difficult things)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine physically PUTTING a letter THROUGH a mail slot – it undergoes a process from one side to another. Similarly, you 'put' a call 'through' the telephone system, or 'put' a person 'through' an experience.
Conceptual Metaphor
EXPERIENCE IS A CONDUIT/PATHWAY (you put someone through it), PROCESSING IS PHYSICAL TRANSFER (putting a request through channels).
Practice
Quiz
In the sentence 'The investors put the startup through rigorous due diligence,' what is the closest meaning of 'put through'?