put through — connect by phone
phrasal verbB1IELTS 5+neutraloccasional
to connect someone to another person on the phone, usually by transferring the call.
Say it like a native
Textbook I shall connect you to the relevant department forthwith.
Native I'll put you through to the right department.
'Put through' is the standard phone verb; the formal version is switchboard-stiff.
Pattern: put sb through (to sb)
In use
- Could you put me through to the manager, please?communication
- During my internship, I often answered calls and put customers through to the right department.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ Can you put me through with accounts?
✓ Can you put me through to accounts?
'Put someone THROUGH TO' a person/department — not 'with'.
Common collocations
put + someone + through— me through, you through to, the call through, to sales
Don't confuse it
Not the same as 'call back' (to return a call) or 'hang up' (to end a call).
Related
- put through (make someone experience something difficult) — Another meaning of 'put through' is 'make someone experience something difficult'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.