By vs. Through — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on September 18, 2023
"By" often indicates agency or means, whereas "Through" typically refers to movement within or the process of something.
Difference Between By and Through
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
The word "By" is versatile, often pointing towards the agent or means responsible for an action. Conversely, "Through" conveys a sense of movement within or amongst something, or the progression of a process.
When we talk about creation or action, we use "By" to identify the doer or creator. "Through" in such cases, can signify the channel or medium of that action or process.
In spatial contexts, "By" might refer to proximity, passing close or next to something. Meanwhile, "Through" is used to describe movement from one end to another within a medium, be it physical or metaphorical.
In terms of time, "By" can mean no later than a specific time, whereas "Through" can imply a duration, from start to finish.
To summarize, while both prepositions play essential roles in sentences, "By" leans more towards agency or means, while "Through" emphasizes movement, medium, or the progression of a process.
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Comparison Chart
Indication
Agency or means.
Movement or process.
Usage in Action
Identifies the doer or agent.
Signifies the medium or channel.
Spatial Context
Proximity or next to something.
Movement from one end to another.
Temporal Context
No later than a specific time.
Duration from start to finish.
Grammatical Use
Preposition, adverb.
Preposition.
Compare with Definitions
By
Referring to location or proximity.
The bakery by the station is famous.
Through
Movement from one end or side to another.
She walked through the forest.
By
Indicating a deadline or end time.
I'll have it done by noon.
Through
Indicating means or medium.
I learned it through a friend.
By
Referring to the amount or increment of difference.
He won the race by a mile.
Through
Referring to a period of time.
The store is open Monday through Friday.
By
Identifying the agent performing an action.
Through
In one side and out the opposite or another side of
Went through the tunnel.
By
Indicating the means of achieving something
They substantiate their opinions by the use of precise textual reference
They plan to provide further working capital by means of borrowing
Malaria can be controlled by attacking the parasite
Through
Among or between; in the midst of
A walk through the flowers.
By
Indicating the amount or size of a margin
The raising of VAT by 2.5%
The shot missed her by miles
Through
By way of
Climbed in through the window.
By
Indicating a deadline or the end of a particular time period
By now Kelly needed extensive physiotherapy
I've got to do this report by Monday
Through
By the means or agency of
Bought the antique vase through a dealer.
By
Indicating location of a physical object beside a place or object
Remains were discovered by the roadside
The pram was by the dresser
Through
Into and out of the handling, care, processing, modification, or consideration of
Her application went through our office. Run the figures through the computer.
By
Indicating the period in which something happens
This animal always hunts by night
Through
Here and there in; around
A tour through France.
By
Concerning; according to
She had done her duty by him
Anything you do is all right by me
Through
From the beginning to the end of
Stayed up through the night.
By
Used in mild oaths
It was the least he could do, by God
I swear by Almighty God
Through
At or to the end of; done or finished with, especially successfully
We are through the initial testing period.
By
So as to go past
A car flashed by on the other side of the road
He let only a moment go by
Through
Up to and including
A play that runs through December.
A volume that covers A through D.
By
Variant spelling of bye
Through
Past and without stopping for
Drove through a red light.
By
Close to; next to
The window by the door.
Through
Because of; on account of
She succeeded through hard work. He declined the honor through modesty.
By
With the use or help of; through
We came by the back road.
Through
From one end or side to another or an opposite end or side
Opened the door and went through.
By
Up to and beyond; past
We drove by the house.
Through
From beginning to end; completely
I read the article once through.
By
At or to
Stopped by the bakery.
Came by the house.
Through
Throughout the whole extent or thickness; thoroughly
Warmed the leftovers clear through.
Got soaked through in the rain.
A letter that was shot through with the writer's personality.
By
In the period of; during
Sleeping by day.
Through
Over the total distance; all the way
Drove through to their final destination.
By
Not later than
By 5:30 PM.
Through
To a conclusion or an accomplishment
See a matter through.
By
In the amount of
Letters by the thousands.
Through
Allowing continuous passage; unobstructed
A through street.
By
To the extent of
Shorter by two inches.
Through
Affording transportation to a destination with few or no stops and no transfers
A through bus.
A through ticket.
By
According to
Played by the rules.
Through
Continuing on a highway without exiting
Through traffic.
Through lanes.
By
With respect to
Siblings by blood.
Through
Passing or extending from one end, side, or surface to another
A through beam.
By
In the name of
Swore by the Bible to tell the truth.
Through
Having finished; at completion
She was through with the project.
By
Through the agency or action of
Was killed by a bullet.
Through
Having no further concern, dealings, or connection
I'm through with him.
By
Used to indicate a succession of specified individuals, groups, or quantities
One by one they left. They were persuaded little by little.
Through
Having no more use, value, or potential; washed-up
That swimmer is through as an athlete.
By
Used in multiplication and division
Multiply 4 by 6 to get 24.
Through
Doomed to death or destruction.
By
Used with measurements
A room 12 by 18 feet.
Through
From one side of an opening to the other.
I went through the window.
By
Toward. Used to express direction with points of the compass
South by east.
Through
Entering, then later leaving.
I drove through the town at top speed without looking left or right.
By
On hand; nearby
Stand by.
Through
Surrounded by (while moving).
We slogged through the mud for hours before turning back and giving up.
By
Aside; away
We put it by for later.
Through
By means of.
This team believes in winning through intimidation.
By
Up to, alongside, and past
The car raced by.
Through
In consequence of; as a result of.
By
At or to one's home or current location
Stop by later today.
Through
(North America) To (or up to) and including, with all intermediate values.
From 1945 through 1991;
The numbers 1 through 9;
Your membership is active through March 15, 2013
By
Into the past
As years go by.
Through
Passing from one side of something to the other.
Interstate highways form a nationwide system of through roads.
By
Variant of bye1.
Through
Finished; complete.
They were through with laying the subroof by noon.
By
Near or next to.
The mailbox is by the bus stop.
Through
Without a future; done for.
After being implicated in the scandal, he was through as an executive in financial services.
By
From one side of something to the other, passing close by; past.
The stream runs by our back door.
He ran straight by me.
Through
No longer interested; wearied or turned off by experience.
She was through with him.
By
Not later than (the given time); not later than the end of (the given time interval).
Be back by ten o'clock!.
We'll find someone by the end of March.
We will send it by the first week of July.
Through
Proceeding from origin to destination without delay due to change of equipment.
The through flight through Memphis was the fastest.
By
Indicates the person or thing that does or causes something: Through the action or presence of.
Through
(association football) In possession of the ball beyond the last line of defence but not necessarily the goalkeeper; through on goal.
By
Following a passive verb.
The matter was decided by the chairman.
The boat was swamped by the water.
He was protected by his body armour.
Through
From one side to the other by way of the interior.
The arrow went straight through.
By
Following a noun.
There was a call by the unions for a 30% pay rise.
Through
From one end to the other.
Others slept; he worked straight through.
She read the letter through.
By
(not in common modern use) Following an adjective.
I was aghast by what I saw.
Through
During a period of time; throughout
He worked through the night.
By
Indicates the creator of a work: Existing through the authorship etc. of.
There are many well-known plays by William Shakespeare
Through
To the end.
He said he would see it through.
By
Indicates a means of achieving something: Involving/using the means of.
I avoided the guards by moving only when they weren't looking.
By Pythagoras' theorem, we can calculate the length of the hippopotamus.
We went by bus.
I discovered it by chance.
By 'maybe' she means 'no'.
The electricity was cut off, so we had to read by candlelight.
Through
Completely.
Leave the yarn in the dye overnight so the color soaks through.
By
Indicates an authority according to which something is done.
By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife.
Through
Out into the open.
The American army broke through at Saint-Lô.
By
Invokes an authority in an oath.
By Jove! I think she's got it!
By all that is holy, I'll put an end to this.
Through
A large slab of stone laid in a dry-stone wall from one side to the other; a perpend.
By
Indicates a means of classification or organisation.
I sorted the items by category.
Table 1 shows details of our employees broken down by sex and age.
Through
(obsolete) A coffin, sarcophagus or tomb of stone; a large slab of stone laid on a tomb.
By
Indicates the amount of change, difference or discrepancy
Our stock is up by ten percent.
His date of birth was wrong by ten years.
Through
From end to end of, or from side to side of; from one surface or limit of, to the opposite; into and out of at the opposite, or at another, point; as, to bore through a piece of timber, or through a board; a ball passes through the side of a ship.
By
In the formulae X by X and by Xs, indicates a steady progression, one X after another.
We went through the book page by page.
We crawled forward by inches.
Through
Between the sides or walls of; within; as, to pass through a door; to go through an avenue.
Through the gate of ivory he dismissedHis valiant offspring.
By
Acted on in units of the specified size or measure. (Sometimes hyperbolically)
Sold by the yard; cheaper if bought by the gross
He drinks brandy by the bucketful!
Through
By means of; by the agency of.
Through these hands this science has passed with great applause.
Material things are presented only through their senses.
By
Per; with or in proportion to each.
His health was deteriorating by the day.
The pickers are paid by the bushel.
Through
Over the whole surface or extent of; as, to ride through the country; to look through an account.
By
Indicates a referenced source: According to.
He cheated by his own admission.
By my reckoning, we should be nearly there.
Through
Among or in the midst of; - used to denote passage; as, a fish swims through the water; the light glimmers through a thicket.
By
Used to separate dimensions when describing the size of something.
It is easy to invert a 2-by-2 matrix.
The room was about 4 foot by 6 foot.
The bricks used to build the wall measured 10 by 20 by 30 cm.
Through
From the beginning to the end of; to the end or conclusion of; as, through life; through the year.
By
(horse breeding) Designates a horse's male parent (sire); cf. out of.
She's a lovely little filly, by Big Lad, out of Damsel in Distress.
Through
From one end or side to the other; as, to pierce a thing through.
By
At, with, among
Are you eating by Rabbi Fischer? (at the house of)
By Chabad, it's different. (with, among)
Through
From beginning to end; as, to read a letter through.
By
Along a path which runs past the speaker.
I watched as it passed by.
Through
To the end; to a conclusion; to the ultimate purpose; as, to carry a project through.
By
In the vicinity, near.
There was a shepherd close by.
Through
Going or extending through; going, extending, or serving from the beginning to the end; thorough; complete; as, a through line; a through ticket; a through train. Also, admitting of passage through; as, a through bridge.
By
To or at a place, as a residence or place of business.
I'll stop by on my way home from work.
We're right near the lifeguard station. Come by before you leave.
Through
Having finished or arrived at completion;
Certain to make history before he's done
It's a done deed
After the treatment, the patient is through except for follow-up
Almost through with his studies
By
Aside, away.
The women spent much time after harvest putting jams by for winter and spring.
Through
Of a route or journey etc.; continuing without requiring stops or changes;
A through street
A through bus
Through traffic
By
Out of the way, off to one side.
A by path, a by room
Through
From one end or side to the other;
Jealousy pierced her through
By
Subsidiary, incidental.
By catch, a by issue
Through
From beginning to end;
Read this book through
By
Alternative spelling of bye.
Through
Over the whole distance;
This bus goes through to New York
By
In the neighborhood of; near or next to; not far from; close to; along with; as, come and sit by me.
By foundation or by shady rivuletHe sought them both.
Through
To completion;
Think this through very carefully!
By
On; along; in traversing. Compare 5.
Long labors both by sea and land he bore.
By land, by water, they renew the charge.
Through
In diameter;
This cylinder measures 15 inches through
By
Near to, while passing; hence, from one to the other side of; past; as, to go by a church.
Through
Throughout the entire extent;
Got soaked through in the rain
I'm frozen through
A letter shot through with the writer's personality
Knew him through and through
Boards rotten through and through
By
Used in specifying adjacent dimensions; as, a cabin twenty feet by forty.
Through
Completion of a process or action.
He read the book through in one night.
By
Against.
Through
Describing the reason or cause.
Through hard work, she succeeded.
By
With, as means, way, process, etc.; through means of; with aid of; through; through the act or agency of; as, a city is destroyed by fire; profit is made by commerce; to take by force.
By
Near; in the neighborhood; present; as, there was no person by at the time.
By
Passing near; going past; past; beyond; as, the procession has gone by; a bird flew by.
By
Aside; as, to lay by; to put by.
By
Out of the common path; aside; - used in composition, giving the meaning of something aside, secondary, or incidental, or collateral matter, a thing private or avoiding notice; as, by-line, by-place, by-play, by-street. It was formerly more freely used in composition than it is now; as, by-business, by-concernment, by-design, by-interest, etc.
By
So as to pass a given point;
Every hour a train goes past
By
In reserve; not for immediate use;
Started setting aside money to buy a car
Put something by for her old age
Has a nestegg tucked away for a rainy day
By
Indicating agency, method, or means.
The letter was sent by airmail.
By
Identifying the creator or author.
Hamlet was written by Shakespeare.
Common Curiosities
Can "By" indicate proximity?
Yes, for instance, "The park by my house is lovely."
Can "by" refer to increments?
Yes, e.g., "They won by 5 points."
Can "By" and "Through" be used interchangeably?
Not always. While both are prepositions, their contexts differ, with "By" indicating agency and "Through" indicating movement or process.
What does "by myself" mean?
It means "alone" or "without any assistance."
How does "see through" someone mean?
"See through" means to understand or perceive someone's true intentions.
What does it mean to say "by and by"?
"By and by" means "after a while" or "soon."
Can "by" denote a method?
Yes, e.g., "I sent it by email."
How is "Through" used in context of time?
"Through" denotes a span of time, e.g., "I'll be here Monday through Wednesday."
Is "through and through" an idiom?
Yes, it means completely or wholly.
What does "go through" imply?
It can mean to experience something or to examine something thoroughly.
What does "break through" mean?
It means to overcome an obstacle or barrier.
How is "by" used in multiplication?
As an indicator, e.g., "3 multiplied by 4 is 12."
Can "through" indicate transparency?
Yes, e.g., "I could see through the clear water."
What does "stop by" mean?
It means to visit someone briefly.
How is "by" used with passive voice?
To indicate the doer, e.g., "The book was written by Rowling."
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Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
