# come through

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/come-through
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To survive, to endure.

## Examples

- 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.

## Origin

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.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.