pull through

pull through (third-person singular simple present pulls through, present participle pulling through, simple past and past participle pulled through)

1. (intransitive) To come through pain and trouble through perseverance.
   • 1886, Peter Christen Asbjørnsen, translated by H.L. Brækstad, Folk and Fairy Tales, page 215:

     There was once a poor, very poor widow, who had an only son. She pulled through with the boy till he was confirmed; but then she told him that she could not feed him any longer; he would have to go out and earn his own bread.

   • 1901 April 12, “District Reports”, in The Agricultural Journal and Mining Record‎, volume 4, number 3, page 68:

     Dr. Gilman's race horse was bad last week; fortunately Mr. Verney, the District Veterinary Surgeon, succeeded in pulling him through.

   • 1919, W[illiam] Somerset Maugham, “chapter 26”, in The Moon and Sixpence, [New York, N.Y.]: Grosset & Dunlap Publishers […], →OCLC:

     At one time it looked as though he could not live more than a few hours, and I am convinced that it was only through the Dutchman's doggedness that he pulled through.

2. (transitive) To assist someone through difficulties, injury, pain, etc.
   • 1936, F.J. Thwaites, chapter XV, in The Redemption, Sydney: H. John Edwards, published 1940, page 176:

     "Dr. Van-Herne is confident of pulling Godfrey through, isn't he?"

3. (transitive) To clean the barrel of a firearm using a pull through.

pull through (plural pull throughs)

1. Misspelling of pull-through.