thor·ough
ˈthər-(ˌ)ō 
sometimes ˈthȯr-;
ˈthə-(ˌ)rō
1
: carried through to completion : exhaustive
a thorough search/examination/investigation
2
a
: including every possible part or detail
a thorough description
a thorough understanding of the rules and regulations
b
: careful about detail : painstaking
a thorough scholar
c
chiefly British
: complete in all respects
thorough pleasure/disgrace
a thorough mess/nuisance
d
: having full mastery (as of an art)
a thorough musician
thoroughness
noun
archaic
: through
Examples of thorough in a Sentence
Adjective
… one realized that it was the restaurant's thorough and even comic Frenchness that had made it so entirely New York.
—
Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2004
Bruce tells me to squat down and Koani sidles up, ears flattened, tail tucked away, and gives my face a thorough licking.
—Nicholas Evans, Daily Telegraph, 26 Sept. 1998
The job was uncharacteristically thorough for a Russian contract killing—three different types of bullets riddled Mikho's body.
—New Republic, 15 Dec. 1997
a thorough understanding of the rules and regulations
The investigator will have to be thorough.
Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2004
Bruce tells me to squat down and Koani sidles up, ears flattened, tail tucked away, and gives my face a thorough licking.
—Nicholas Evans, Daily Telegraph, 26 Sept. 1998
The job was uncharacteristically thorough for a Russian contract killing—three different types of bullets riddled Mikho's body.
—New Republic, 15 Dec. 1997
a thorough understanding of the rules and regulations
The investigator will have to be thorough.
Recent Examples on the Web
Steve Sadin, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
Everybody over the age of 18 should have a thorough living will and healthcare surrogate designation.
—Carol Marbin Miller, Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2026
Over the years, aircraft have vanished without a trace, leaving unanswered questions even after thorough investigations.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
The office said each bill receives a thorough review before any decisions are made.
—Nakell Williams, CBS News, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for thorough
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Adjective
After a thorough review of applicants, the association will forward the names of three final candidates to the trustees for a decision on the new president.
—Steve Sadin, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
Everybody over the age of 18 should have a thorough living will and healthcare surrogate designation.
—Carol Marbin Miller, Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2026
Over the years, aircraft have vanished without a trace, leaving unanswered questions even after thorough investigations.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
The office said each bill receives a thorough review before any decisions are made.
—Nakell Williams, CBS News, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for thorough
Cite this Entry
“Thorough.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thorough. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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