come through
2 meanings
survive a difficult or dangerous situation
What does "come through" mean in this sense?
Examples
- He came through the operation better than anyone expected.
- It was the hardest year of her life, but she came through.
- Do you think the company will come through this financial crisis?
How to use it
The most common pattern — the subject faces a named difficulty, and the experience follows directly after 'through'.
Against all odds, the whole family came through the crisis stronger than before.
When the difficult situation is already clear from context, native speakers often drop the object entirely and use 'come through' on its own.
The surgery was risky, but thankfully she came through.
Used to express hope or uncertainty about whether someone will survive or recover from something ongoing.
The doctors are optimistic that he'll come through the procedure without any complications.
The present perfect is natural when reflecting on a past hardship that still feels relevant to the present moment.
She's come through some incredibly tough times and is finally doing well.
Common Collocations
Common Mistakes
Learners often say 'she came through it', but native speakers rarely use a pronoun object here. Either name the experience in full or drop the object entirely.
'Come through' always implies successful survival — you cannot use it to describe someone who did not make it. For uncertain outcomes, frame it as a question or doubt about whether they will come through.
'Pull through' is mainly used for recovering from serious illness or injury, often when survival was in real doubt. 'Come through' is broader and works for any difficult experience, not just medical ones.
Usage
This phrasal verb always implies a successful outcome — use it only when someone has survived or recovered. It works in both spoken and written English and is equally common in British and American English.
arrive or be received (a message, result, or information)
Sense 2: What does "come through" mean?
Examples
- The test results came through this morning — I passed!
- We're still waiting for the visa; it hasn't come through yet.
- Let me know as soon as the payment comes through.
How to use it
The most common pattern — the thing that was awaited is the subject, and there is no object.
Her exam results came through on Friday morning.
Time adverbs expressing waiting or expectation are very commonly added to show that something is still pending or has at last arrived.
The funding hasn't come through yet, so we can't start the project.
The present perfect is especially common with this phrasal verb, often used to announce that something waited for has just arrived.
Good news — the approval has finally come through!
Use the future form to reassure someone that something expected will arrive.
Don't worry — the confirmation will come through before your trip.
A pronoun can be used as the subject when the thing being waited for is already clear from context.
We submitted the application two weeks ago, but it still hasn't come through.
Common Collocations
Common Mistakes
In this sense, 'come through' is intransitive — the results or information are the subject, not the object. Learners sometimes add a noun after 'through' as if the person is doing the action.
'Get through' focuses on the effort of making contact (for example, trying to reach someone by phone), while 'come through' describes information or approval successfully arriving at its destination. They are not interchangeable.
'Come through' also has a separate meaning — to survive a difficult experience (e.g. 'She came through the operation'). In that sense, a person is the subject and a challenge is the complement. In the arrival/reception sense, the subject must be something like a result, message, or decision — never a person.
Usage
This phrasal verb is neutral and suitable for both spoken and written English. It is especially common in the present perfect with 'yet' or 'still', expressing that something expected has not arrived: 'The results still haven't come through.'
Frequently Asked Questions
Does 'come through' always have a happy ending?
Yes — this phrasal verb carries an inherent positive outcome. It means someone has successfully survived or emerged from difficulty. If the outcome is uncertain, you can say 'We hope she'll come through', but you wouldn't use it to describe someone who didn't survive.
Can I use 'come through' in the present continuous — like 'she is coming through the illness'?
This sounds quite awkward and is best avoided. Native speakers tend not to describe survival as something happening in the moment with this phrasal verb. If you want to talk about an ongoing struggle, 'get through' ('she's getting through it') is a more natural choice.
Does 'come through' have other meanings?
Yes, the same form has other senses — for example, when results, news, or a signal arrive ('My visa approval finally came through'), or when something passes through a physical space. Context makes the meaning clear: the survival sense always involves a person facing hardship.
What kinds of difficult experiences can follow 'come through'?
A wide range — illness, surgery, an accident, a financial crisis, a war, a rough patch in life, grief, or any tough period. The experience just needs to be something genuinely challenging that a person has had to endure and overcome.
Can a company or organisation 'come through' something, or is it only used for people?
It works for groups too — companies, communities, teams, and countries can all 'come through' a crisis or difficult period. The key is that the subject must be capable of experiencing hardship, so you wouldn't use it for objects or abstract things.
Does 'come through' always mean something is received or has arrived?
No — 'come through' has other meanings too. For example, it can mean to survive something difficult ('She came through the illness') or to move through a physical space ('Come through to the kitchen'). This page only covers the sense where information, results, or approvals are received after a period of waiting.
What kinds of things can be the subject of 'come through'?
The subject is almost always an abstract noun connected to information or official processes — things like results, a visa, funding, payment, an email, confirmation, or approval. A person is never the subject in this sense.
Why is 'come through' so often used with 'yet' and 'still'?
Because this phrasal verb usually describes something the speaker has been waiting for, it pairs naturally with words that show waiting or expectation, like 'yet', 'still', 'finally', and 'eventually'. For example: 'The visa still hasn't come through' or 'The results have finally come through'.
Can I use 'come through' to talk about something in the future?
Yes, you can use it with 'will' to say that something expected will arrive. For example: 'The payment will come through by the end of the week.' This is a natural and common pattern.
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