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
Susan Montoya Bryan, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2026
To wash heated blankets, unplug them and follow the manufacturer’s instructions for a safe and thorough cleaning.
—Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Feb. 2026
And although humpback whales are due for a thorough census, even outdated estimates suggest there are at least 20 to 25 times the number of these animals in the region today.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 20 Feb. 2026
My advice is, when the car goes in for service, let the technicians give the car a thorough visual inspection and follow their advice on fluids and other repairs.
—John Paul, The Providence Journal, 20 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for thorough
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Adjective
Garcia Richard in a letter sent last week called on federal authorities and state prosecutors to ensure a thorough criminal investigation into allegations related to the ranch.
—Susan Montoya Bryan, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2026
To wash heated blankets, unplug them and follow the manufacturer’s instructions for a safe and thorough cleaning.
—Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Feb. 2026
And although humpback whales are due for a thorough census, even outdated estimates suggest there are at least 20 to 25 times the number of these animals in the region today.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 20 Feb. 2026
My advice is, when the car goes in for service, let the technicians give the car a thorough visual inspection and follow their advice on fluids and other repairs.
—John Paul, The Providence Journal, 20 Feb. 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 24 Feb. 2026.
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