Put sb through sth Meaning & Examples | How to Use Explained

What Does “Put sb through sth” Mean?

“Put sb through sth” means to cause someone to experience something difficult or unpleasant. It often refers to making someone endure a challenging situation.

Introduction

The phrasal verb “Put sb through sth” is commonly used in English to describe situations where someone is made to experience something tough, stressful, or painful. Understanding the Put sb through sth meaning helps learners express situations involving difficulty or hardship. This phrase is useful in both spoken and written English, especially when talking about emotional or physical challenges. Knowing how to use “Put sb through sth” correctly will improve your communication skills and make your language more natural.

Quick Info Box

• Phrasal verb: Put sb through sth (put somebody through something)
• Type: Transitive
• Level: B2
• Short meaning: To make someone experience something difficult or unpleasant

Structure (Grammar Rules)

“Put sb through sth” is a separable phrasal verb. This means the object (sb) can come between “put” and “through” or after “through.”

• Put + somebody + through + something
• Put + through + somebody + something (less common, usually with pronouns)

Example:

• They put her through a tough exam.
• They put her through it. (informal, with pronoun)

How to Use Put sb through sth?

Use “Put sb through sth” when you want to say that someone has to face a difficult or unpleasant experience. It can be used in formal and informal contexts. The “sth” (something) can be a test, an experience, a process, or any challenging event. The person who is “put through” the experience is the direct object (sb).

Examples

John’s parents really put him through a lot when he was studying for his exams.

Here are more examples of Put sb through sth in a sentence:

• The training program put all the new employees through rigorous testing.
• She was put through a difficult interview process before getting the job.
• Don’t put me through that kind of stress again.
• The soldiers were put through tough physical challenges during boot camp.
• They put the patients through several medical tests to diagnose the problem.

Common Mistakes

People sometimes confuse the structure or use the wrong object. Here are some incorrect versus correct examples:

• Incorrect: They put through her a hard time.
  Correct: They put her through a hard time.
• Incorrect: She put me through the exam.
  Correct: She put me through a difficult exam.
• Incorrect: Put me through this! (without object)
  Correct: Don’t put me through this!

Differences / Synonyms

Similar phrasal verbs include “go through,” “put up with,” and “go over,” but they have different meanings.

• Go through: To experience something yourself.
  Example: She went through a tough time last year.
• Put up with: To tolerate something unpleasant.
  Example: I can’t put up with the noise anymore.
• Put sb through sth: To make someone else experience something difficult.
  Example: The teacher put the students through a difficult test.

Use “put sb through sth” when focusing on causing someone else to face a challenge.

Common Collocations

“Put sb through” is often followed by words describing tests, experiences, or processes. Here are common collocations:

• Put sb through a test/exam: Make someone take a difficult test.
• Put sb through an interview: Make someone experience the interview process.
• Put sb through a difficult time: Cause someone to endure hardship.
• Put sb through medical tests: Make someone undergo medical examinations.
• Put sb through training: Make someone complete a training program.

Related Phrasal Verbs

Here are related phrasal verbs of put sb through sth:

• Put Sb Above Sth
• Put Sth By
• Put Sb At Sth
• Put Sth Above Sth
• Put Sb Before Sth

Real-life Dialogue

Here is a short conversation using “Put sb through sth”:

Anna: The new manager put me through a tough interview yesterday.

Ben: Really? What made it so hard?

Anna: Lots of unexpected questions and tests. It was stressful!

Practice

Try to complete the sentences with the correct form of “put sb through sth”:

• They __________ (put / me / a difficult test) last week.
• Don’t __________ (put / her / so much stress).
• The coach __________ (put / the players / hard training).

FAQ

• What does “put sb through sth” mean? It means to make someone experience something difficult or unpleasant.
• Is “put sb through sth” separable? Yes, you can separate the object from the verb and preposition.
• Can I use “put sb through sth” in formal writing? Yes, it is appropriate in both formal and informal contexts.
• What are common objects after “put sb through”? Tests, interviews, training, difficult times, medical exams.
• Is “put sb through sth” the same as “go through sth”? No, “put sb through sth” means causing someone else to experience something, while “go through sth” means experiencing it yourself.