thorough

adjective

ˈthər-(ˌ)ō How to pronounce thorough (audio)
Definition of thoroughnext
1
as in complete
having no exceptions or restrictions had thorough access to the files for her research

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in detailed
including many small descriptive features thorough analysis of the current crisis in Asia

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in extensive
trying all possibilities a thorough search of the office that turned up no evidence of wrongdoing

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in comprehensive
covering everything or all important points a very thorough textbook on respiratory disorders

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of thorough Not every hunter out there is as careful and thorough as yourself. — Jack Hennessy, Outdoor Life, 23 Sep. 2026 When Singleton was 33, his wife urged him to schedule a more thorough physical. — Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 23 Sep. 2026 In Spain, high-level government officials condemned Tacoronte’s murder and demanded a thorough investigation. — Michael Rios, CNN Money, 21 Sep. 2026 There needs to be verifiable proof that the evaluator has been given access to the all the necessary information to make a thorough evaluation. — Bhaskar Chakravorti, Fortune, 20 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for thorough
Recent Examples of Synonyms for thorough
  1. complete
  2. detailed
  3. extensive
  4. comprehensive
  5. simple
  6. full
  7. exhaustive
  8. unconditional
Adjective
  • The incoming wave hits a slanted wall, bounces off at an angle, and rapidly spirals into complete unpredictability.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 28 Sep. 2026
  • An almost complete goddess torso, identified as the Roman goddess of victory, includes wings, a palm branch, and a victory laurel.
    — Francesca Aton, ARTnews.com, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of complete
Adjective
  • Cseh, the archive's director, said successor governments to dictatorships rarely disclose the names of previous agents and informants, let alone records as detailed as those Hungary is preparing to release.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 30 Sep. 2026
  • The shape gives my fingers a natural place to settle, providing a secure grip when shifting between detailed lines and broad strokes.
    — Kimberly Gedeon, PC Magazine, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of detailed
Adjective
  • Avila said the attack left her with severe injuries to her arm and face, extensive scarring, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
    — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 30 Sep. 2026
  • In that hands-on evaluation, the reviewer put the Flow 2 through extensive real-world testing across two months in a demanding household environment, covering over 100 cleaning jobs and more than 18,500 square feet of floor space.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of extensive
Adjective
  • To prevent that outcome, Washington needs an equally comprehensive strategy — one that takes America’s biotech ambitions as seriously as China takes its own.
    — Patrick McHenry, STAT, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Media support is equally comprehensive, offering apps like Prime Video, Disney+, HBO Max, and YouTube with 3D/VR enhancements, alongside Xbox Cloud Gaming.
    — Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of comprehensive
Adjective
  • Ahead, design industry pros share the 7 decor mistakes that could be outdating your living room, along with simple fixes to refresh the space.
    — Maria Sabella, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Sep. 2026
  • The equation is even simpler for Bernie Margulies, CEO of American Compute, which advises on risk management for GPU financing.
    — Kif Leswing,Isabel O'Brien,Seema Mody, CNBC, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of simple
Adjective
  • The Russian strikes forcing the full or partial closure of three of Kyiv's six road bridges caused traffic logjams and appeared to be a new tactic in its campaign to torment the city's residents.
    — HANNA ARHIROVA, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
  • The Russian strikes forcing the full or partial closure of three of Kyiv’s six road bridges caused traffic logjams and appeared to be a new tactic in its campaign to torment the city’s residents.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of full
Adjective
  • The New York Times‘ exhaustive list of the best TV shows of the 21st century traces its origin to a similar list of the best books a couple years ago.
    — Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Boutros has since announced an exhaustive review of previous grand jury matters and reforms in how the usually secret grand jury transcripts are shared with the court.
    — Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of exhaustive
Adjective
  • South Korea has not given the project an unconditional green light and says its participation will depend on the economics.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov repeated Moscow's demand for a comprehensive peace deal, not a temporary break in hostilities, following Ukraine's call for a complete and unconditional ceasefire.
    — HANNA ARHIROVA, Arkansas Online, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of unconditional

Browse Nearby Words

thorny
thorough
thoroughbred
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Thorough.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thorough. Accessed 4 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Oct. 2

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
name tags
Words Named After People Quiz Find out who’s behind "leotard," "morphine," an...
See All