By vs. Through

Main Difference

The main difference between the prepositions By and Through is that By is a preposition used when someone refers to the means of something whereas Through is a preposition that is used in relation to any process preposition

By vs. Through — Is There a Difference?
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Difference Between By and Through

By vs. Through

'By' indicates a location that is next to or past beyond something; in contrast, 'Through' indicates a location from one place to another or across a site.

By vs. Through

'By' is used when someone refers to the means of anything, whereas 'Through' is a preposition that is used about any process.

By vs. Through

'By' refers to the modes of transportation; on the flip side, 'Through' refers to the completion of an activity.

By vs. Through

'By' indicates the ownership of any kind of writing, composition, or creation, contrarily 'Through' indicates the process or manner via which a thing is achieved.

By vs. Through

The preposition 'By' directs a specific time; on the other hand, the preposition 'Through' describes a time during the whole time period.

By vs. Through

'By' indicates or tells the amount, size, or margin of a thing; inversely, 'Through' tells the extent of something.

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By vs. Through

'By' tells the manner of something, its origin, and result; on the other side, 'Through' directs the completion of an activity.

By vs. Through

The use of 'By' can be seen in multiplicative terms; on the contrary, the use of 'Through' is not found in such conditions.

By vs. Through

'By' is preposition telling the origin or result of something, conversely 'Through' preposition is used in a way that a task is fulfilled.

Bypreposition

Near or next to.

The mailbox is by the bus stop.

Throughpreposition

From one side of an opening to the other.

I went through the window.

Bypreposition

At some time before (the given time), or before the end of a given time interval.

Be back by ten o'clock!We will send it by the first week of July.
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Throughpreposition

Entering, then later leaving.

I drove through the town at top speed without looking left or right.

Bypreposition

Indicates the actor in a clause with its verb in the passive voice: Through the action or presence of.

The matter was decided by the chairman.The boat was swamped by the water.He was protected by his body armour.

Throughpreposition

Surrounded by (while moving).

We slogged through the mud for hours before turning back and giving up.

Bypreposition

Indicates the creator of a work: Existing through the authorship etc. of.

There are many well-known plays by William Shakespeare

Throughpreposition

By means of.

This team believes in winning through intimidation.

Bypreposition

Indicates the cause of a condition or event: Through the action of, caused by, responsibility for; by dint of.

Throughpreposition

(North America) To (or up to) and including, with all intermediate values.

from 1945 through 1991;the numbers 1 through 9;your membership is active through March 15, 2013

Bypreposition

Indicates a means: Involving/using the means of.

I avoided the guards by moving only when they weren't looking.

Throughadjective

Passing from one side of something to the other.

Interstate highways form a nationwide system of through roads.

Bypreposition

Indicates a source of light used as illumination.

The electricity was cut off, so we had to read by candlelight.

Throughadjective

Finished; complete.

They were through with laying the subroof by noon.

Bypreposition

Indicates an authority, rule, or permission followed.

I sorted the items by category.By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife.

Throughadjective

Valueless; without a future.

After being implicated in the scandal, he was through as an executive in financial services.

Bypreposition

Indicates the amount of some progression: With a change of.

Our stock is up by ten percent.

Throughadjective

No longer interested.

She was through with him.

Bypreposition

In the formulae X by X and by Xs, indicates a steady progression, one X after another.

We went through the book page by page.We crawled forward by inches.

Throughadjective

Proceeding from origin to destination without delay due to change of equipment.

The through flight through Memphis was the fastest.

Bypreposition

Indicates a referenced source: According to.

He cheated by his own admission.

Throughadjective

(association football) In possession of the ball beyond the last line of defence but not necessarily the goalkeeper; through on goal.

Bypreposition

Indicates an oath: With the authority of.

By Jove! I think she's got it!By all that is holy, I'll put an end to this.

Throughadverb

From one side to the other by way of the interior.

The arrow went straight through.

Bypreposition

Used to separate dimensions when describing the size of something.

It is easy to invert a 2-by-2 matrix.The room was about 4 foot by 6 foot.The bricks used to build the wall measured 10 by 20 by 30 cm.

Throughadverb

From one end to the other.

Others slept; he worked straight through.She read the letter through.

Bypreposition

(horse breeding) Designates a horse's male parent (sire); cf. out of.

She's a lovely little filly, by Big Lad, out of Damsel in Distress.

Throughadverb

To the end.

He said he would see it through.

Byadverb

Along a path which runs by the speaker.

I watched as it passed by.

Throughadverb

Completely.

Leave the yarn in the dye overnight so the color soaks through.

Byadverb

In the vicinity, near.

There was a shepherd close by.The shop is hard by the High Street.

Throughadverb

Out into the open.

The American army broke through at St. Lo.

Byadverb

To or at a place, as a residence or place of business.

I'll stop by on my way home from work.We're right near the lifeguard station. Come by before you leave.

Throughnoun

A large slab of stone laid in a dry-stone wall from one side to the other; a perpend.

Byadverb

Aside, away.

The women spent much time after harvest putting jams by for winter and spring.

Throughnoun

(obsolete) A coffin, sarcophagus or tomb of stone; a large slab of stone laid on a tomb.

Byadjective

Out of the way, subsidiary.

Throughadjective

having finished or arrived at completion;

certain to make history before he's doneit's a done deedafter the treatment, the patient is through except for follow-upalmost through with his studies

Bynoun

(card games) A pass

Throughadjective

of a route or journey etc.; continuing without requiring stops or changes;

a through streeta through busthrough traffic

Byinterjection

alternative spelling of bye

Throughadverb

from one end or side to the other;

jealousy pierced her through

Byadverb

so as to pass a given point;

every hour a train goes past

Throughadverb

from beginning to end;

read this book through

Byadverb

in reserve; not for immediate use;

started setting aside money to buy a carput something by for her old agehas a nestegg tucked away for a rainy day

Throughadverb

over the whole distance;

this bus goes through to New York

Throughadverb

to completion;

think this through very carefully!

Throughadverb

in diameter;

this cylinder measures 15 inches through

Throughadverb

throughout the entire extent;

got soaked through in the rainI'm frozen througha letter shot through with the writer's personalityknew him through and throughboards rotten through and through

Comparison Chart

ByThrough
'By' used when someone refers to the means of something'Through' used about any process
Part of Speech
PrepositionPreposition
Time
Directs a specific timeDescribes a time during the whole period
Location
A location that is next to or past beyond somethingA location from one place to another or across a place
Refers To
Means of anythingRelation to any process
About a Thing
Tells the amount, size or margin of a thingTells the extent of a thing
Other Relations
Modes of transportationCompletion of an activity

By vs. Through

‘By’ is a preposition used when someone refers to the means of something; on the other hand, ‘Through’ is a preposition that is used about any process. ‘By’ indicates a location that is next to or past beyond something, while ‘Through’ shows a location from one place to another or across a site. ‘By’ refers to the modes of transportation; on the other side,’Through’ refers to the completion of an activity. The preposition ‘By’ directs a specific time, whereas the preposition ‘Through’ describes a time during the whole time period.

Moreover, the preposition ‘By’ indicates the ownership of any kind of writing, composition, or creation; on the contrary, ‘Through’ shows the process or manner via which a thing is achieved. ‘By’ also tells the way of something, its origin, and result; on the other hand, ‘Through,’ on the other hand, directs the completion of an activity.

‘By’ is preposition telling the origin or result of something, while ‘Through’ preposition is used in a way that a task is fulfilled. ‘By’ indicates or shows the amount, size, or margin of a thing; on the other side, ‘Through’ tells the extent of a thing. The use of ‘By’ can be seen in multiplicative terms, whereas ‘Through’ is not used in such conditions.

What is By?

‘By’ is one of the most common prepositions of the English language. A preposition is one of the parts of speech in the English language that tends to indicate the relationship between two things. So the preposition ‘By’ also reflects the connection of a subject with the surroundings. This relationship can be of various types.

When there is an action, ‘By’ identifies the doer/performer of, e.g., “Pride and Prejudice is written by Jane Austen.” ‘By’ is used to indicate the location that is near or next to a thing, e.g., “My uncle lives by the lake along with his family.” It also suggests past and beyond location, e.g., I drove by your office yesterday. ‘By’ is also used to indicate a period in a context that the time is not later than, at or before a period, e.g., She will complete her project by next week. ‘By’ directs a time within any extent or period, e.g.,Werewolf always hunts by night.

‘By’ reflects how a thing was achieved, e.g., “She paid by credit card.” Moreover, the preposition ‘By’ indicates a mode of transportation and the amount or size of the margin, e.g., “I arrived by plane.” “The girl missed the train by a little distance.” It refers to the origins or positions of the beings, e.g., “These plants are produced by the cloning process. My best friend is an engineer by profession.” Furthermore, the preposition ‘By’ indicates the results or consequence of something, e.g., “It happened by accident.”

What is Through?

‘Through’ is a common and essential preposition in the English language. It reflects the relation of things with each other or with any other matter. ‘Through’ preposition function in different ways. It indicates ‘from a location to the other.’ It reflects “in at one end, and out at the other, e.g., “The thief stepped through the window.” When there is a relation of past or beyond, we use ‘Through,’ e.g., “You have to travel through the mountains to get to the mysterious cave.”

It reflects the relationship that is ‘during the whole period,’ e.g., John practiced for the speech through the night. The preposition ‘Through’ refers to the completion of something, e.g., “I got through my exams.” It is also indicating the manner by which a thing is caused or achieved, e.g., “Coronavirus enters the body mainly through the mouth.” It was through my negligence that I lost the opportunity.” ‘Through’ denotes ‘inspecting a part of it or the whole collection.’“She searched for the required book, flipping through all the book racks.”

Conclusion

'By' and 'Through' are the words commonly seen as prepositions in the English language. Both these prepositions are different from each other, having different usage.