Threw vs Through | Difference, Definitions & Contexts
Threw and through are homophones, meaning they sound the same but have different meanings.
- Threw is the simple past tense of the verb “to throw,” which has many meanings. The most common one is “to propel something through the air using the force of your arm.”
- Through is a preposition, adverb, or adjective, but not a verb. Through also has various meanings, but one of the most common meanings is “in one side and out the other.”
Threw definition
Threw is the simple past tense of the irregular verb “to throw,” which has various definitions.
| Definition | Example |
|---|---|
| Use the force of your arm to propel something through the air | The pitcher threw the baseball at 95 mph. |
| Violently force someone or something into a certain physical position | The sudden earthquake threw us to the floor. |
| Move a part of the body suddenly in a specific direction | The villain threw his head back and laughed. |
| Have a party | My friends threw an amazing surprise party for my birthday. |
| Project something (e.g., sound or light) in a specific direction | The ventriloquist threw his voice to make it appear that his dummy was talking. |
| Direct a facial expression at someone or something | The singer threw a glance at the pianist, who started playing. |
| Roll dice | I got lucky and threw a six. |
| Make ceramics on a pottery wheel | I threw these flower pots in my studio. |
| Punch | The boxer threw an uppercut right into her opponent’s jaw. |
| Lose a race or contest on purpose, often to make money | An investigation found that the jockey threw the race in exchange for a bribe. |
Many phrasal verbs are formed with “throw.” Therefore, threw can appear in these phrasal verbs in the past tense.
| Phrasal verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Throw out | Discard or expel | The director threw him out of school for fighting. |
| Throw away | Discard | I threw away my old folder. |
| Throw in | Include something free with purchase | When I bought this printer, the shop threw in an ink cartridge for free. |
| Throw up | Vomit | I must have eaten something bad because I threw up after the meal. |
| Throw off | Confuse | Your questions yesterday threw me off. |
| Throw on | Put clothes on quickly | I threw my jacket on and ran out the door. |
| Throw together | Make or assemble quickly | My mom threw together a meal for me and my friends. |
| Throw at | Appear too eager to be with someone | He threw himself at me at the party last night. |
| Throw into | Start to do something with enthusiasm and energy | The new employee threw herself into the project. |
There are also many English idioms that incorporate “throw,” and if we use them in the past tense, threw.
| Idiom | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Throw a tantrum | To have a sudden explosion of anger (usually for children) | The child threw a tantrum when he wasn’t allowed to eat a second piece of cake. |
| Throw your hat in the ring | Show willingness to take on a challenge | Our mayor threw her hat in the ring for the Senate race. |
| Throw under the bus | To betray or sacrifice someone to protect yourself | My partner threw me under the bus to our teacher. |
| Throw caution to the wind | Do something careless or risky | He threw caution to the wind and bet all his money. |
| Throw money at something | Try to solve a problem by spending money on it | Instead of finding a creative solution, they just threw money at the problem. |
| Throw your weight around | Use your power or authority in a forceful way | The boss threw his weight around to get what he wanted at the meeting. |
| Throw for a loop | Confuse or surprise someone greatly | The unexpected news threw me for a loop. |
| Throw someone off their game | Confuse or disrupt someone, especially during a performance | The fight in the crowd threw the basketball player off his game. |
The QuillBot Grammar Checker can make sure that you’re always using threw—and never through—as a verb.
Through definition
Through can function as a preposition, adverb, or adjective, with different meanings in each case.
| Part of speech | Definition | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Preposition | Moving in one side and out the other | To get to my house, drive through the tunnel and turn left. |
| Preposition | By way of | We have to enter the stadium through Gate 45. |
| Preposition | Because of | I succeeded through hard work. |
| Preposition | To and including | We work Monday through Friday. |
| Preposition | Over time | Through the years, I’ve come to appreciate the little things in life. |
| Preposition | Inspecting all parts of | I read through the entire manual. |
| Adverb | From one side or end to the other | We walked through to the other side of the mall. |
| Adverb | Continuing without stopping or interruption | As soon as they opened the doors, the excited fans came streaming through. |
| Adverb | To completion of conclusion | In just one day, I read the book through. |
| Adverb | Connect via telephone | The receptionist put my call through to the manager. |
| Adjective | Open at both ends, allowing free passage | We live on a through road, so it can be quite noisy. |
| Adjective | Passing to the next stage of a competition | The New York Yankees are through to the playoffs. |
| Adjective | Finished | I called him yesterday to tell him we’re through. |
Unlike “threw,” through is not a verb, but it does feature in some common phrasal verbs.
| Phrasal verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| See through | To understand the true nature of someone or something despite appearances | I saw through her attempts to manipulate me. |
| See something through | To complete something | We’ve put the plan in action; now we have to see it through. |
| Go through | To experience something | She’s going through a difficult time in her life. |
| Break through | To achieve success | The young actor is hoping to break through soon. |
| Pull through | Survive or deal with an illness or ordeal | The surgery was difficult, but we believe she’ll pull through. |
| Go through with | Do or complete something, especially after hesitation | After some doubts, she decided to go through with the wedding. |
| Put someone through something | Subject someone to something, usually unpleasant | My trainer put me through an incredibly intense workout today. |
| Run through | Practice or rehearse something | Let’s run through your speech one more time. |
There are also some common idioms that use through.
| Idiom | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Through thick and thin | To stay loyal through the good and the bad | I know my sister will be by my side through thick and thin. |
| Put someone through hell/the wringer | To make someone go through a difficult or stressful experience | Our old boss really put us through the wringer. |
| Fall through the cracks | To be overlooked or missed, especially in a system | This school is large, but we’re trying our best to make sure no children fall through the cracks. |
| Jump through hoops | To put it in a great effort to achieve something | I had to jump through hoops to get my visa approved. |
| Go through the motions | Do things without thought or enthusiasm | Sometimes I feel like I’m just going through the motions and not really enjoying my life. |
| Go through the roof | To increase drastically and suddenly | During the pandemic, grocery prices went through the roof due to supply chain disruptions. |
If you want to find other ways to express these phrasal verbs and idioms, the QuillBot Paraphraser can help.
Thru vs through
Thru is the informal, shortened spelling of through and means the same thing. You should only use thru in informal writing, like text messages or social media posts. In formal writing, use through.
There’s one instance where thru is almost always preferred: drive-thru. A drive-thru is a place where you can receive a service without leaving your vehicle. Drive-through is not incorrect, but it is less commonly used.
Most McDonald’s locations have drive-thrus.
I use a drive-thru car wash, so I don’t even have to get out.
Frequently asked questions about threw vs through
- What is a synonym for go through?
-
“Go through” is a phrasal verb that can mean “to experience” or “to search through.”
For example, you could “be going through bad times” or you could “go through the user manual for your new refrigerator.”
As a synonym for “go through” meaning “to experience,” you could use:
- Experience
- Endure
- Undergo
- Withstand
- Face
- Be subjected to
- Survive
When “go through” means “search through,” some synonyms are:
- Look through
- Read
- Browse
- Scan
- Examine
- Review
Don’t mix up the phrasal verb “go through” with other phrasal verbs using threw or through.
QuillBot’s Paraphraser can help you find other synonyms for “go through.”
- What is a synonym of threw?
-
Synonyms of “threw” include:
- Launched
- Heaved
- Hurled
- Propelled
- Thrust
- Flung
- Cast
- Pitched
These synonyms are for “threw,” with the meaning, “send something through the air using the force of your arm or a tool.”
Threw and through are homophones—they sound the same—but each one has several different meanings.
Use the QuillBot Grammar Checker to ensure you’re using these words correctly for your intent.
- What is a synonym of through?
-
Some synonyms of “through” are:
- Into and out of
- From end to end of
- From start to finish
- Between
- By way of
- By means of
- By agency of
Through can be a preposition, adverb, or adjective and has many meanings. It is also commonly confused with the past tense verb threw, which sounds the same but has different meanings.
Use the QuillBot Grammar Checker to confidently and correctly use threw and through in your writing.
- Is it walk thru or through?
-
Both “walk thru” and “walk through” are acceptable depending on the context.
“Walk thru” and “walk through” mean the same thing:
- To move through a place
- To go over something carefully
The difference is that “thru” is the informal spelling of “through.” You’ll find “thru” in informal writing like text messages or social media posts, or in contexts where word count or space is limited, like signs.
So if you are texting a friend, you might say, “Want to walk thru the park on our way to class?”
But if you’re writing a report or a story, you would want to say, “The students walked through the park on their way to class.”
Don’t confuse “thru” and “through” with the verb “threw.” These words sound the same but have different meanings.
Use QuillBot’s Grammar Checker to see if you’re using threw, through, and thru correctly.
- Is it thru or through for dates?
-
“Thru” is the informal spelling of “through.”
When talking about dates, “through” means “to and including.” So in a formal context, you could say, “We work Monday through Friday.” But if texting a friend, you could say, “We work Monday thru Friday.”
Don’t mix up “thru” and “through” with “threw,” the simple past tense of the verb “to throw.”
QuillBot’s Grammar Checker will fix any mistakes with threw, through, or thru in your writing.
