through and through

adverb

Definition of through and throughnext
1
as in quite
to a full extent or degree I know him through and through, and he would never do such a cowardly thing

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in systematically
with attention to all aspects or details those UFO claims were examined through and through and were found to be completely bogus

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 through and through Like the groom, musician Machine Gun Kelly is a Cleveland native and a Swiftie through and through. — Marina Watts, Entertainment Weekly, 4 July 2026 Mufasa is a Leo through and through. — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 24 June 2026 The Jellicle Ball keeps the cats’ names and the same music and lyrics as the original Cats, but this show is about humans through and through. — Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 23 June 2026 English springer spaniel Springer spaniels are people dogs through and through. — Pat Mueller, USA Today, 18 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for through and through
Recent Examples of Synonyms for through and through
  1. quite
  2. systematically
  3. all
  4. thoroughly
  5. completely
  6. inside out
  7. fully
  8. perfectly
Adverb
  • But none of the more precise terms quite roll off the tongue.
    — Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2026
  • That’s true even as there’s been a steady clip of cyberattacks on the United States and other countries, some of them quite alarming, and even as a new, more powerful AI model is released by an American or Chinese lab seemingly every week.
    — Jen Easterly, Foreign Affairs, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of quite
Adverb
  • That allows hackers to systematically guess those phrases and then drain crypto wallets.
    — Ty Roush, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Trump has systematically starved Social Security of funds for customer service, a cynical effort to make this all-important program seem more burdensome to the seniors who rely on it.
    — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of systematically
Adverb
  • Vargas, Murakami and Montgomery have all homered in the same game five times this season, becoming the first trio to accomplish that feat since Cody Bellinger, Corey Seager and Joc Pederson for the Dodgers in 2019.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Billions > millions Placek likes to tell a story that illustrates the chasm between the right name — one that’s surprising and familiar all at once — and more predictable choices.
    — HubSpot, HubSpot, 31 July 2026
Definition of all
Adverb
  • The easiest way to lower your exposure to the cyclospora parasite is by washing your hands and surfaces doing food preparation, by washing raw ingredients in cold water, and by thoroughly cooking fruits and vegetables.
    — Marissa Perlman, CBS News, 5 Aug. 2026
  • If hunting or skinning animals, use gloves, and cook game meat thoroughly before eating.
    — Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of thoroughly
Adverb
  • People who come here and spend the whole day leave feeling completely renewed.
    — Lilian Raji, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
  • The treat filled me up, cooled me down and completely satisfied my sweet tooth.
    — Hali Smith August 1, Idaho Statesman, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of completely
Adverb
  • Yet, a few noteworthy exceptions break the rule, offering something accessible to those who don’t know the city inside out.
    — Dinah McClintock, AJC.com, 30 July 2026
  • Harper and his Angeleno peers show how noir in any setting can work in this century, a time of rampant corruption, outsize villains, and morality turned inside out.
    — Carolyn Kellogg, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026
Definition of inside out
Adverb
  • Trade data show China has fully transitioned from providing mostly low cost manufacturing to supplying vital machinery and components for advanced manufacturing.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 7 Aug. 2026
  • In Hrubec’s lab, the malformations took a different form — neural tube defects similar to spina bifida in humans, in which parts of the spinal column fail to close, or anencephaly, where the skull and brain never fully develop.
    — Sandee LaMotte, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of fully
Adverb
  • Rigney and Gere play this back-and-forth perfectly, the instantly emerging tension between them barely concealed behind tight smiles.
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The 13-inch Apple iPad Air with the M3 chip won our Editors' Choice award specifically for students and creators, and PCMag expert Eric Zeman praised it for perfectly balancing performance and price in our review.
    — Kelsey Fogarty, PC Magazine, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of perfectly

Browse Nearby Words

through
through and through
throughout
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Through and through.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/through%20and%20through. Accessed 8 Aug. 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!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of nurture

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

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

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

How long is a jiffy?
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
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
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All