put through — make someone experience something difficult
phrasal verbB2IELTS 6+neutralcommon
to make someone experience something unpleasant or challenging, often over a period of time.
Say it like a native
Textbook I deeply regret subjecting you to such an ordeal.
Native I'm sorry for putting you through all this.
'Put through' is the natural verb for making someone endure something hard; 'subject to an ordeal' is formal.
Pattern: put sb through sth
In use
- She really put her parents through a lot when she was a teenager.relationships
- Many students feel that final exams put them through a great deal of stress.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ Sorry for putting you through of this.
✓ Sorry for putting you through this.
'Put someone through' + the hardship — no 'of'.
Common collocations
put + someone + through— you through hell, us through this, them through a lot, her through it
Don't confuse it
Not the same as 'go through' (to experience something yourself).
Related
- put through (connect by phone) — Another meaning of 'put through' is 'connect by phone'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.