think through
SeparableThe object can go before or after the particle — but a pronoun MUST go in the middle: “clean it up”, never “clean up it”.
How to say it
Stress the particle, not the verb: think THROUGH. Saying “THINK through” is the clearest learner tell — the verb stays light and the particle carries the beat.
Do not release the /k/. Before the consonant of “through” the stop is held and swallowed rather than popped — the same unreleased-stop move as in hot dog. One smooth unit: “think through”. Watch the TH in “through” — tongue tip between the teeth, voiceless. Swapping it for /t/ or /s/ is the usual slip.
What it means
To consider all the consequences of something.
- “They clearly hadn't thought the policy through.”
- “Think it through before you send that email.”
Similar: reason out