Master confusing words with ease
By vs. Through
By
Examples:
I have you, that by the collar!For a moment I feared they would pass by.He went down on the floor by her chair.
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
This word has no antonymsThrough
/θruː/Examples:
He made another search, careful and protracted, through the cabinets.But my greatest fear all through has been Caroline.And after Belknap was through with him, then Mason.
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
This word has no antonymsWays to tell them apart:
- By often indicates a point of reference, such as a person or thing, whereas through usually suggests motion within a space or period.
- By is sometimes used to denote someones method or means of doing something; on the other hand, through focuses on the process.
- When you want to convey something accomplished via a person or means, you may often use by; contrastly, through can describe completing something by moving across an area or time.
- Think of by when youre relating to proximity, in contrast to through' which often refers to completing or navigating.
- By frequently accompanies passive constructions signaling the agent, while 'through’ often conveys the path or duration of the action.
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