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Glite Dictionary
🚌 To travel briefly 💧 To move across 🪖 To cross enemy area
to pass through

to pass through

14 5.2
To move across an enemy line to reach the other side
  • phrasal verb
  • /pæs θru/
  • Jargon
translation icon : atravesar
  • Their job was to walk through the enemies' minefields, deliberately blowing themselves up in order to open gaps that would allow the Iranian army to pass through unharmed.

Examples

  • But regardless of choice, all Marines would next pass through the School of Infantry.

  • We passed through the mountains and into New France Shawnee Indian territory.

    Eyes of Fire (1983)

  • We're passing through phase line red.

    Man of Steel (2013)

  • The Massachusetts men passed through here this morning.

    Glory (1989)

  • Seafarers remain in constant danger when passing through the straits.

    Academic text (2005)

  • During the battle, the soldiers charged bravely as they attempted to pass through the enemy lines.

  • The infantry division managed to pass through the heavily guarded area, overcoming all obstacles.

  • After receiving the signal, the troops prepared to pass through the enemy's defensive positions.

Synonyms

to pass
vsto pass through
∞ 1.0

To move past something or someone

focuses on penetrating enemy lines during combat, not simple going past
to infiltrate
vsto pass through
127 7.4

To join a group in secret to get information or cause harm

is about open military movement across enemy areas, not secret entry
to move through
vsto pass through
80 2.1

Pass from one point to another during a journey or process

is about military crossing during engagement, not general travel
to slip through
vsto pass through
  • Informal
58 4.2

Pass through something so it is not noticed or stopped

is focused on combat crossing, not quiet unnoticed entry
to cut through
vsto pass through
51 3.0

To go straight across a place, for example through land or a crowd

is about military crossing in battle, not only making a direct break
to come through
vsto pass through
49 3.8

To move through something from one side to the other

is about moving across enemy areas during combat, not general penetration
to cut across
vsto pass through
8 3.2

To go through a place like a park to make a shorter route

is used for combat penetration, not simply choosing a shortcut route
to push one's way through
vsto pass through
4 3.9

Move forward by getting past people or things blocking the way

is about moving across enemy lines during combat, not specifically forcing past crowds
to transit
vsto pass through
3 4.2

To move people or goods through a place on the way to another

is the general act of moving across areas, not limited to combat use
to plough one's way through
vsto pass through
  • UK
1 7.4

To move forward with difficulty through people or things with effort

is about combat crossing, not mainly slow difficult progress
to cross into enemy lines
vsto pass through
8.4

To enter land held by the enemy during a battle

focuses on crossing or penetrating enemy defences rather than only entering their area

How Deep

to overrun
20 7.0
to penetrate
175 4.1
to pass through
  • Jargon
14 5.2
to probe
23 4.6

Surface Forms

pass through infinitive
passed through past
passed through past participle
passing through present participle
passes through third person singular

Morphology

pass + through

The meaning 'to move across or penetrate' is directly derived from 'pass' (to move or go beyond) combined with 'through' (moving from one side to the other); this motion/composition is literal and follows a common English verb + preposition pattern. Cross-linguistically and contextually (e.g., troops moving across lines) this construction is transparent, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents will readily infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Pass through can mean to move across an enemy area, like soldiers slipping through a gap in a fence or a line at night to reach the other side. So it means 'to move across or penetrate an enemy line or area'.