Go through meaning
Go through means to live through a difficult or unpleasant time. It can also mean to look at or discuss something carefully, part by part.
go through something
go through · went · gone · going
She’s going through a hard time at work.
Go through meanings and examples
4 meanings, each with its own CEFR level. A level marked ~ is our estimate: Oxford and Cambridge give none for that meaning.
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1
Live through a difficult or unpleasant time
go through something
- She’s going through a hard time at work.
- We went through a lot together.
- I don’t want you to go through that again.
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2
Look at or discuss something carefully, part by part
go through something
- Let’s go through the plan one more time.
- The teacher went through the answers with us.
- Someone has gone through my bag!
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3
Use all of something, often quickly
go through something
- We go through two loaves of bread a week.
- I went through three pens in the exam.
- How do you go through so much phone data?
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4
Be officially accepted or completed
go through
- The sale of the house finally went through.
- Did your visa go through?
- The new law didn’t go through.
Café orders
New friends
At the airport
Slova
Use go through in real conversations
- Learn new words with picture cards
- Talk with Felix, an AI tutor, about the things you love
- Short lessons at your level, a few minutes a day
Is go through separable?
Go through is not separable. The thing comes after through: go through the answers, go through it.
Go through with something means do something hard that you planned, even if you are afraid: In the end she didn’t go through with the wedding.
Verb tenses for go through
| Present | I go through · she goes through |
|---|---|
| Past | went through |
| Present perfect | have gone through |
| -ing form | going through |
Common mistakes with go through
What learners often say, and what to say instead.
Wrong: It was hard, but we went it through together.
Right: It was hard, but we went through it together.
Go through is not separable. The pronoun goes after through.
Wrong: I’m passing through a difficult time.
Right: I’m going through a difficult time.
For hard experiences, say go through.
Wrong: The payment didn’t go, so I tried again.
Right: The payment didn’t go through, so I tried again.
For approval, you need through.
Synonyms and opposites of go through
Words close to it, and words that mean the opposite.
Similar
- get throughreach the end of a hard time
- go overcheck or explain something, often more quickly
- experiencea neutral, more formal word
Opposite
- avoidkeep away from something hard
- be rejectednot be accepted, for a plan or payment
Go through quiz
Three quick questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.
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1My friend is ___ a difficult divorce.
Go through means live through a hard time.
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2Choose the right sentence.
The pronoun goes after through.
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3Good news! The bank says your payment has ___.
A payment goes through when it is accepted.
More phrasal verbs with go
All phrasal verbs with go, by level, with an exercise
16 phrasal verbs start with go. Test yourself on all of them in a few minutes.
- go outA1leave your home to do something fun
- go backA1return to a place where you were before
- go inA2enter a room or a building
- go intoA2enter a place
- go onB1continue, or last for a period of time
- go awayB1leave a person or a place
- go downB1become lower, like a price, a number or a temperature
- go upB1become higher, like a price, a number or a temperature
- go forB1choose something
- go withB1look or taste good together with something
- go offB2start ringing loudly, like an alarm, or explode, like a bomb
- go overB2check something carefully, looking for mistakes
- go aroundB2be enough for everyone in a group to have some
- go aheadB2start or continue doing something you planned
- go afterB2follow or chase someone to catch them or talk to them
Go through FAQ
Questions people ask about go through.
What is the difference between go through and go over?
Both can mean check something carefully. Go over is often a quick or second look. Go through often means every part, one by one.
What is the difference between go through and get through?
Go through means be in a hard time. Get through means reach the end of it: She went through a lot, but she got through it.
What does go through the roof mean?
It means rise very high very fast, for prices or anger: Rents have gone through the roof.
Use go through in real conversations
In Slova you learn new words with picture cards, then use them when you talk about the things you love. A few minutes a day, at your level.