Before picking a throughout synonym, ask one thing: is your sentence about time or about space? For time, use all through, during the whole of or for the duration of. For place, use across or all over. Each keeps the core idea of "from one end to the other, with no gaps."
Throughout is a single word that does two jobs: a preposition before a noun ("throughout the day") and an adverb at the end of a clause ("the house was repainted throughout"). You will find a synonym for throughout in both roles below, along with the mistakes that trip up writers. Related connectors are gathered under transition and linking words.
Swatch at a glance
Best swaps
all through, across, during the whole of, all overPart of speech
Preposition and adverbMost formal
for the duration of, the length and breadth ofMost casual
all over, the whole timeFor time
all through, for the whole of, overFor place
across, everywhere in, all overWatch out
During alone can mean at one moment within a period. It does not promise the whole stretch.
Throughout synonym table: time or place
| Throughout means | Swap with | Before | After |
|---|---|---|---|
| the whole period | all through | It rained throughout the match. | It rained all through the match. |
| the whole period, formal | for the duration of | Phones stay off throughout the exam. | Phones stay off for the duration of the exam. |
| every part of an area | across | Stores throughout the country closed. | Stores across the country closed. |
| every part, casual | all over | Fans throughout town celebrated. | Fans all over town celebrated. |
| at the end of a clause | the whole time | She smiled throughout. | She smiled the whole time. |
The chip strip, casual end first
The chips on this page start casual and end formal. All over belongs in speech and texts. All through and right through are friendly but fine in most writing. Across is neutral and works in news and reports about regions. For the duration of is the stiff end, at home in rules, contracts and notices.
In everyday writing, throughout itself is already a little formal. If a sentence feels heavy, all through usually lightens it.
Rewriting throughout in real lines
- Snow fell throughout the night becomes snow fell all through the night.
- The festival is held in towns throughout the region becomes the festival is held in towns across the region.
- Stay seated throughout the flight becomes stay seated for the duration of the flight.
- Prices rose throughout the year becomes prices rose over the year.
- The theme runs throughout the novel becomes the theme runs right through the novel or runs through the whole novel.
- The apartment has wood floors throughout becomes the apartment has wood floors in every room.
- He was calm throughout becomes he was calm the whole time.
A team update: "Throughout the quarter we tracked sales throughout every branch." The double throughout makes the sentence drag. A cleaner version: "Over the quarter we tracked sales across every branch."
During, through and within are not exact swaps
During can point to one moment: "The phone rang during dinner" means once, not all dinner long. Write "all through" or "throughout" if you mean the full stretch.
Through in American English can mark an end date: "Monday through Friday" means up to and including Friday. It does not carry the "every part" sense on its own.
Within means inside a limit, so "within the city" only places something inside the borders, while "in every part of the city" spreads it everywhere.
Another word for throughout in essays
Essay writers often use throughout to say an idea appears again and again in a text. Good alternatives here are across the text, from the first chapter to the last and at every stage of. If you mean the idea repeats rather than covers everything, try repeatedly or consistently instead.
Example: "Water imagery appears throughout the poem" can become "Water imagery returns at every stage of the poem."
Grammar notes and comma use
As a preposition, throughout needs a noun after it and takes no comma: "throughout the year." When it opens a sentence, a short phrase like "Throughout the trip" may skip the comma, while a long one usually gets it. As an adverb, it sits at the end with no object: "The room was painted white throughout."
Avoid the common doubling "throughout the whole day." Throughout already means whole, so drop one of them.
Is there an opposite of throughout?
No single antonym exists. To say something happened only for part of a period, use at times, now and then, briefly or partly. For place, in places and here and there show patchy spread.
- It rained in places across the north.
- She dozed now and then during the lecture.
Frequently asked questions
Is during a synonym for throughout?
Sometimes. During the whole of matches throughout well, but during by itself can mean at a single point within the time.
Which phrase replaces throughout in formal writing?
For the duration of fits rules and notices about time. The length and breadth of is a formal choice for place.
Can throughout open a sentence?
Yes. Throughout the meeting, she took notes is correct, and a comma after a short opening phrase is optional.
What does throughout mean when it comes last in a clause?
It means in every part or for the whole time. The house is carpeted throughout means every room has carpet.
Is throughout the whole correct?
It is redundant, since throughout already implies whole. Write throughout the day or all through the day instead.
How is across different from throughout?
Across mostly works for space, as in across the country. For time, choose all through or over instead.