put through

phrasal verb·3 senses·particle through

Meanings

1

Connect someone by phone

Messages

Why “through”? A call or message moves through a line and reaches someone. You connect, make contact, or make the idea clear.

“Could you put me through to the manager?”
Could you transfer my call to the manager?
“The receptionist put my dad through to the doctor.”
The receptionist connected my dad's phone call to the doctor.
“Hold the line and I'll put you through.”
Stay on the line while I transfer your call.
2

Cause someone to experience difficulty

Endurancerare

Why “through”? You continue during a hard time until it ends.

“She put her family through a lot.”
She caused her family to suffer through a great deal.
“The trial put the witnesses through a lot.”
The trial caused the witnesses to suffer through a great deal.
“The illness put him through months of pain.”
The illness forced him to endure months of pain.
3

Pay for someone's education

Finishinguncommon

Why “through”? You start a task and keep going to the end. You finish the whole thing.

“She put him through university.”
She paid for him to attend university.
“His aunt put him through art school.”
His aunt paid for him to attend art school.

Don't confuse with

put throughput aside

Put through means connect someone by phone. Put aside means save for a specific purpose.

Test yourself

“Could you put me through to the manager?” What does it mean?

Nearby in the meaning map

Sink In connects verbs by particle pattern, contrast pairs, and shared base verbs.

put aside

A contrast learners often mix up

Save for a specific purpose; Ignore or set a feeling aside

battle through

Same through pattern: endurance

Struggle on through to the end of an ordeal

be through

Same through pattern: finishing

Have finished something

break through

Same through pattern: messages

Cut into a broadcast or transmission; Force a way through an obstacle or barrier; Achieve success after a period of effort

bring through

Same through pattern: endurance

Help someone survive a difficult time

carry through

Same through pattern: finishing

Complete what was promised

come through

Same through pattern: endurance

Pass through to arrive on the other side; Survive a difficult or dangerous experience; Do what was expected or hoped for; Arrive at its destination, especially a message or call

fall through

Same through pattern: finishing

Fail to happen or be completed

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