come through
To survive, to endure.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“He came through the long illness and feels much better now.”
“I know you will come through this difficult week at work.”
“They always come through tough times with a positive attitude.”
“The company faced a difficult financial crisis last year, but they came through it stronger than before.”
“After the hurricane destroyed many homes in the village, the community came through the disaster by helping each other rebuild.”
“The young athlete came through a series of painful knee injuries to finally win a gold medal this season.”
“Despite the brutal conditions and the constant threat of failure, the expedition members eventually came through the ordeal with their spirits intact.”
Attested as a conflation of the Middle English infinitive þurȝcomyn, which utilised an inseparable prefix, and the verb-preposition combination comen thurgh. The construction finds a parallel in the German durchkommen, wherein the prefix is separable. It remains an equivalent of the modern constituents come and through.
- 01
appetite comes with eating
Starting an activity increases one's desire to continue it.
- 02
as they come
As it is possible to be.
- 03
blow to kingdom come
To totally destroy (something); to annihilate or wipe out (something).
- 04
burn that bridge when one comes to it
To anticipate dealing with a problem or situation either by acting in a manner that alienates or cuts ties with others, or merely with the expectation of encountering trouble.
- 05
Christmas come early
Something very delightful or fortunate that is happening or has happened, especially earlier than expected.
- 06
come a cropper
To suffer some accident or misfortune; to fail.
- 07
come a long way
To make significant progress.
- 08
come again
A polite formula used when one has not heard or understood what has been said, or to indicate surprise.
Last updated August 10, 2026