to see through
68
4.0
- phrasal verb
- /si θru/
:
ver a través de
- Oh, wow, He's able to see through all this.
- able to see through
Oh, wow, He's able to see through all this.
- Oh, wow, He's able to see through all this.
- How much, however much he sees through the falseness of the relation.
- So we didn't evolve to see through the intentions of men.
- Their billionaires couldn't get it done because our working class people saw through their lies.
- So it is important to heal because when you heal, you see through the BS quicker.
- They they can't see through Carlos.
Examples
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The detective was able to see through the suspect's lies during the interrogation.
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You see through us.
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And I know you can see through any story I tell you.
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- No, I see through you, my friend.
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Sometimes I think you see through me anyway.
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You see through me, sir.
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No need to let him know that you, uh, saw through his act.
Fiction book (1994) -
Greyhorse was good; he would see through any explanation she could make up.
Fiction book (1991) -
Then I asked her why, if she saw through his act, she'd been so cooperative.
Fiction book (1994) -
I can see through your act, you know, I don't have to tiptoe around you if I don't want to.
Synonyms
83
3.7
To notice something with your senses, especially sight or hearing
How Perceptive
Surface Forms
Morphology
The particle 'through' clearly signals completion ('from start to finish'), and the MWE uses 'see' in an extended sense of 'ensure or accompany to completion,' so part of the meaning can be inferred from the constituents. However, 'see' typically means 'perceive' or 'understand' for learners, so the specific sense 'remain with or ensure something is finished' is a metaphorical extension that is not fully predictable without exposure.
Etymology
See through comes from the image of looking through something thin, like clear glass or a mask, where you can see what is behind it. So, to see through someone means to 'not be fooled' by their act.