go through sth
to experience a difficult or unpleasant situation
Theme, CEFR level & Tags
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
go through
go through phrasal verb (see also go)
1. DIFFICULT/UNPLEASANT SITUATION go through something to experience a difficult or unpleasant situation, feeling etc:
When you’re going through a crisis, it often helps to talk to someone.
He’s going through a divorce at the moment.
It is devastating for a parent to watch a child go through misery.
2. PROCESS go through something to experience a particular process:
Candidates must go through a process of selection.
Caterpillars go through several stages of growth.
3. USE go through something to use up money or a supply of something:
We went through five pints of milk last week.
4. LAW go through (something) if a law goes through, or goes through Parliament, it is officially accepted
5. DEAL/AGREEMENT if a deal or agreement goes through, it is officially accepted and agreed:
He accepted the offer and the deal went through.
The sale of the land went through.
6. PRACTISE go through something to practise something, for example a performance:
Let’s go through the whole thing again, from the beginning.
7. SEARCH go through something to search something in order to find something in particular:
Dave went through his pockets looking for the keys.
Customs officers went through all my bags.
8. READ/DISCUSS go through something to read or discuss something in order to make sure it is correct:
We’ll go through the details later on.
Do you want me to go through this and check your spellings?
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition
go through sth (EXPERIENCE) — phrasal verb with go / ɡəʊ / / ɡoʊ / verb ( present participle going , past tense went , past participle gone )
B2 to experience a difficult or unpleasant situation:
I've been going through a bad patch recently.
You'd think his children would be more sympathetic towards him after all he's gone through (= the many bad things he has experienced) .
go through sth (EXAMINE) — phrasal verb with go / ɡəʊ / / ɡoʊ / verb ( present participle going , past tense went , past participle gone )
B2 to examine something that contains a collection of things carefully in order to organize them or find something:
I'm going through my wardrobe and throwing out all the clothes I don't wear any more.
Remember to go through the pockets before you put those trousers in the washing machine.
go through sth (PRACTISE) — phrasal verb with go / ɡəʊ / / ɡoʊ / verb ( present participle going , past tense went , past participle gone )
to do something in order to practise or as a test:
I'd like you to go through that manoeuvre again and then bring the car to a halt.
go through sth (USE) — phrasal verb with go / ɡəʊ / / ɡoʊ / verb ( present participle going , past tense went , past participle gone )
to use a lot of something:
Before I gave up smoking I was going through 40 cigarettes a day.
I went through a hundred quid on my last trip to London.
© Cambridge University Press 2013
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary
go through
1) PHRASAL VERB If you go through an experience or a period of time, especially an unpleasant or difficult one, you experience it.
[V P n] He was going through a very difficult time...
[V P n] South Africa was going through a period of irreversible change.
2) PHRASAL VERB If you go through a lot of things such as papers or clothes, you look at them, usually in order to sort them into groups or to search for a particular item.
[V P n] It was evident that someone had gone through my possessions.
3) PHRASAL VERB If you go through a list, story, or plan, you read or check it from beginning to end.
[V P n] Going through his list of customers is a massive job.
4) PHRASAL VERB When someone goes through a routine, procedure, or series of actions, they perform it in the way they usually do.
[V P n] Every night, they go through the same routine: he throws open the bedroom window, she closes it.
5) PHRASAL VERB If a law, agreement, or official decision goes through, it is approved by a parliament or committee.
[V P] The bill might have gone through if the economy was growing.
Syn:
get through
