put through
Britishverb
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to carry out to a conclusion
he put through his plan
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(also preposition) to organize the processing of
she put through his application to join the organization
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to connect by telephone
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to make (a telephone call)
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Bring to a successful conclusion, as in We put through a number of new laws . [Mid-1800s]
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Make a telephone connection, as in Please put me through to the doctor . [Late 1800s]
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Cause to undergo, especially something difficult or troublesome, as in He put me through a lot during this last year . The related expression, put someone through the wringer , means “to give someone a hard time,” as in The lawyer put the witness through the wringer . The wringer alluded to is the old-fashioned clothes wringer, in which clothes are pressed between two rollers to extract moisture. [First half of 1900s]
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
My parents faced so many hardships, their life wasn’t easy, but I can’t imagine if they had been put through what immigrants are put through today.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 5, 2026
Six-time Grand Slam winner Carlos Alcaraz was put through his paces by German journeyman Yannick Hanfmann on Wednesday before swatting him aside to book his place in the Australian Open third round.
From Barron's • Jan. 21, 2026
That’s by design: From the moment the Xcel left the shipyard until it welcomed its first shakedown guests, every venue was put through rigorous stress tests.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 23, 2025
Four years ago, England were put through their quadrennial humiliation.
From BBC • Nov. 20, 2025
Pressing a key on the desk intercom, Phil Resch said, “Inspector Garland has asked that no calls be put through to him for the next half hour. He’s involved in work that can’t be interrupted.”
From "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
