Through or throw?
through is a preposition meaning “So as to enter (something), pass within or across, and then leave”; throw is a verb meaning “To hurl; to release (an object) with some force from one’s hands, an apparatus…”. Use through as a preposition and throw as a verb. In written English (wordfreq, 2021 data) through is about 11 times as common as throw.
What is the difference between through and throw?
| through | throw | |
|---|---|---|
| Part of speech | preposition, adjective, adverb, noun | verb, noun |
| Meaning | So as to enter (something), pass within or across, and then leave So as to progress within (something) or towards the end or limit of (something) Passing from one side of something to the other | To hurl; to release (an object) with some force from one’s hands, an apparatus, etc. so that it moves rapidly through the air To eject or cause to fall off The act of throwing something |
| Example | I drove through Lausanne on my way from Geneva to Zurich | throw a shoe; throw a javelin |
| Forms | thorough | throws, throwing, threw, thrown |
| Pronunciation | /θɹuː/ /θɹʉw/ /θɹu/ | /θɹəʊ/ [θɾ̪̊əʊ] /θɹoʊ/ |
| In writing | 741 times per million words | 68 times per million words |
Sources: through and throw in the English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0); written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
Every current meaning of through and throw
through
- 1
So as to enter (something), pass within or across, and then leave
I drove through Lausanne on my way from Geneva to Zurich
- 2
Passing from one side of something to the other
Interstate highways form a nationwide system of through roads
- 3
By way of the interior
The arrow went straight through
- 4
So as to progress within (something) or towards the end or limit of (something)
The virus broke out in the capital city and is now spreading quickly through the country
- 5
USFinished; complete
They were through with laying the subroof by noon
- 6
By way of an opening
I opened the window and climbed through
- 7
From one side of (an opening) to the other
Go straight ahead and through that door
- 8
Along the course of a task etc.; used in expressions of progress towards the end
It's a big job but we're halfway through
throw
- 1
To hurl; to release (an object) with some force from one’s hands, an apparatus, etc. so that it moves rapidly through the air
throw a shoe; throw a javelin
- 2
The act of throwing something
With an accurate throw, he lassoed the cow
- 3
To eject or cause to fall off
the horse threw its rider
- 4
A move in which one lifts or unbalances one’s opponent and then brings him down to the ground
- 5
To move to another position or condition; to displace
throw the switch
- 6
One’s ability to throw
He’s always had a pretty decent throw
- 7
To make (a pot) by shaping clay as it turns on a wheel
- 8
The distance travelled by something thrown
a stone's throw
Source: the English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0); obsolete, archaic, dialect and rare senses left out.
Which is more common, through or throw?
through appears 741 times per million words; throw 68 times per million words.
through 741 times per million wordsthrow 68 times per million words
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How many people search through vs throw?
“through vs throw” is searched about 10 times a month on Bing (Google reports it together with close variants, so it has no figure of its own) in the United States.
Sources: Google Ads keyword data through DataForSEO and Microsoft Advertising keyword data through DataForSEO, the average month from September 2025 to August 2026.