In this post, we will explain the difference between "trough" and "throughout." We also clarify when to use each with examples.

When talking about time, use "through" if you want to emphasize the start and end times of an event.

I will be on vacation from August 1st through June 14th.

Use "throughout" when you want to emphasize that something is ongoing over the entire course of a time period.

The exhibition runs throughout December.

Note the difference:

It rained through the day. (The rain persisted from the start to the end of the day, but it might not have been continuous.)

It rained throughout the day. (This sentence implies that it rained consistently or continuously for the entire day.)

Another example:

The exhibition runs through February.

The exhibition runs throughout February. (It suggests the exhibition is open during the entire month.)

Another one:

We worked on the project through the night.

We worked on the project throughout the night. (It suggests continual work for the entire night)

When talking about space, use "through" to indicate a journey or path between two points within a space.

The tunnel goes through the mountain.

Use "throughout" to emphasize that something is spread over every part of a particular area.

Flowers were scattered throughout the garden.

Note the difference:

We walked through the park. (It doesn't necessarily imply that you covered every part of the park. You may have taken a direct path from one end to the other.)

We walked throughout the park. (This sentence suggests a more extensive, perhaps meandering walk that covered multiple areas of the park. It implies that you likely explored various parts of the park rather than just walking from one end to the other.)