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Glite Dictionary
to put through its paces

to put through its paces

1 6.5
Test how well a person or thing works by making them do tasks
  • phrasal verb
translation icon : poner a prueba
  • Given those very specific limitations, there are really not many users who have actually put the mobile wallet through its paces.
  • put your body through its paces
  • put the new system through its paces
  • chance to put it through its paces

Boy Peak out here and he's going to put the tribe through its paces.

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Examples

  • A narrow two-lane highway narrowed to a two-lane road and then to simply a lane, the tall hedges ticking past as I put my Ford Mondeo through its paces.

    Blog text (34)

  • Google has reportedly enlisted some external testers to put the app through its paces.

    Blog text (8)

  • So I am a little concerned, but I'm going to put it through its paces in the real world.

  • Presumably, a prototype was still being put through its paces.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • As we put this one through its paces, it quickly became clear that this is far more than a cheaper, smaller iPad.

    Blog text (28)

  • As users put the new system through its paces, LDIG discovered some problems with our implementation.

    Academic text (2014)

  • We'll know more clearly how this kind of thing works in November, when we have a Wii U to put through its paces.

    Blog text (14)

  • Here's what they've got to say about FotoMagico 4 after putting it through its paces.

    Blog text (5)

  • Download apps, make calls, tether, everything—just put it through its paces.

    Blog text (27)

  • The engineers will put through its paces the new software to see how well it performs under pressure.

Synonyms

to put to the test
vsto put through its paces
45 3.7

To challenge people or things in hard situations to show their ability

tests by making them do a set of tasks to check performance
to run through
vsto put through its paces
25 3.4

Practice something to check for mistakes

checks performance through a series of tasks rather than rehearsal

Antonyms

to ignore
∞ 1.0

Choose not to pay attention to someone or something

to overlook
243 2.9

To not notice someone or something you should see

How Thorough

to stress
4 3.4
to put through its paces
1 6.5
test
∞ 1.0
to inspect
202 2.5

Surface Forms

put through its paces infinitive
put through its paces past
put through its paces past participle
putting through its paces present participle
puts through its paces third person singular

Morphology

put + through + its + pace

The components 'put' and 'through' suggest subjecting something to a process, but the plural 'paces' (pace = speed/steps) does not transparently convey 'a series of tests or exercises' to an average B1 learner. The phrase is a conventionalized English idiom whose overall meaning is only partially predictable from its parts and typically requires exposure, so it is best classified as semi-transparent.

Etymology

Put through its paces comes from training horses. A rider would make a horse walk and run at different paces to see how well it moved. So today it means 'to test' someone or something by making them do tasks.