1 B1 neutral
To examine something carefully by going through each part or section in turn.
"He checked through all the invoices before signing off on the accounts."
separable
check through
B2 neutral separable transitive
To examine each part of something systematically, or to officially clear luggage or a passenger through security or customs.
In plain English
To look at every part of something carefully, one by one, to make sure everything is right, or to send luggage all the way to your final destination in one go.
What does "check through" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic neutral
In air travel, to tag luggage so that it is transferred automatically to a connecting flight without the passenger retrieving it.
"The airline agent checked our bags through to Sydney so we didn't have to collect them in Singapore."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To 'check' something as it passes 'through' each step — either of a journey or an inspection process.
Actually means
To look at every part of something carefully, one by one, to make sure everything is right, or to send luggage all the way to your final destination in one go.
Usage tip
The travel sense ('check luggage through') is specific to airports where bags are tagged to the final destination without the passenger collecting them at a connection. The review sense is slightly more formal than 'go through.'
Words that pair with "check through"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
luggage baggage document report list records
How to conjugate "check through"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
check through
I/you/we/they
3rd person
checks through
he/she/it
Past simple
checked through
yesterday
Past participle
checked through
have + pp
-ing form
checking through
continuous
Hear "check through" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "check through" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
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