through the mill
idiom
chiefly British
: through a very difficult experience
They've been (put) through the mill in the months since their father died.
Examples of through the mill in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
During the final rolling, two layers of foil are passed through the mill at the same time.
—
Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 20 Nov. 2024
The cause of the outbreak may have passed through the mill months ago and is now gone, Dier said.
—Freep.com, 23 Apr. 2023
Since then, he has been ground through the mill of Russian justice; the film suggests that his incarceration may last as long as twenty years.
—Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 24 Apr. 2022
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Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 20 Nov. 2024
The cause of the outbreak may have passed through the mill months ago and is now gone, Dier said.
—Freep.com, 23 Apr. 2023
Since then, he has been ground through the mill of Russian justice; the film suggests that his incarceration may last as long as twenty years.
—Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 24 Apr. 2022
Cite this Entry
“Through the mill.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/through%20the%20mill. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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