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
Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 27 Mar. 2026
With so many rule changes coming for HOAs, anyone considering buying a condo should do a thorough review of the financials or get a financial expert to do it for you.
—Jeff Lazerson, Oc Register, 26 Mar. 2026
For a more thorough clean, a baking soda soak (1 teaspoon per 2 cups of water for 12 to 15 minutes) outperforms plain water for surface pesticide removal, per University of Massachusetts research.
—Allison Palmer, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Mar. 2026
What we’re told must be clear, thorough, timely, verifiable, and public.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for thorough
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Adjective
His family deserves full transparency and a thorough, independent investigation.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 27 Mar. 2026
With so many rule changes coming for HOAs, anyone considering buying a condo should do a thorough review of the financials or get a financial expert to do it for you.
—Jeff Lazerson, Oc Register, 26 Mar. 2026
For a more thorough clean, a baking soda soak (1 teaspoon per 2 cups of water for 12 to 15 minutes) outperforms plain water for surface pesticide removal, per University of Massachusetts research.
—Allison Palmer, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Mar. 2026
What we’re told must be clear, thorough, timely, verifiable, and public.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 Mar. 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 29 Mar. 2026.
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