power through

Meaning

To continue working hard to complete something, even though you are tired or the task is difficult. It carries an encouraging, determined, and resilient tone. It is highly common in professional environments when deadlines are tight.

Examples

• I know we're all tired, but let's power through and finish this report tonight.

  I know we're all tired, but let's power through and finish this report tonight.

• Despite having a mild headache, she managed to power through the afternoon presentation.

  Despite having a mild headache, she managed to power through the afternoon presentation.

• We had to power through a lot of paperwork before the audit team arrived.

  We had to power through a lot of paperwork before the audit team arrived.

• If we power through this last batch of emails, we can leave early.

  If we power through this last batch of emails, we can leave early.

• She had to power through months of difficult research to complete her thesis.

  She had to power through months of difficult research to complete her thesis.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ We need to power through of this project.

  ✓ We need to power through this project.

  'Power through' is a transitive phrasal verb that takes a direct object; do not use the preposition 'of' after it.

• ✗ I power finished my work.

  ✓ I powered through my work.

  Learners sometimes confuse the structure; 'power' acts as the verb and 'through' as the particle. You must conjugate 'power' and keep 'through' directly after it.

Related Expressions

Practice

• Even though I was exhausted, I had to ___ the last two hours of the meeting.

  💡 Force yourself to finish despite tiredness.

  Show answer

  power through

• Let's ___ this final chapter so we can go to lunch.

  💡 Work hard to complete a difficult task quickly.

  Show answer

  power through