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Meetings & Communicationnoun · /wɔːk θruː/

walk-through

In simple English

A walk-through is a structured way to go through something methodically, often in a meeting or review session. In software development, walk-throughs are commonly used during code reviews, when onboarding new team members, or before launching a feature. The person conducting the walk-through explains each step, shows what happens at each stage, and invites questions or feedback. It is different from a training session because walk-throughs are usually more focused on a specific piece of work, and different from a presentation because walk-throughs are more interactive and detailed. Walk-throughs help teams catch bugs early, ensure code quality, and make sure everyone understands the design and implementation.

Understand what a walk-through means in software development and how to use it in team meetings.

At a glanceCEFR B2
Commonness4/5
Versatility4/5
FormalityCasualFormalNeutral
Spoken ↔ WrittenSpokenWrittenBoth
Directness ↔ DiplomaticDirectDiplomaticDirect
RegionUS and UK
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Say it like this

✓Let us do a quick walk-through of the code changes.
✓Can you walk us through the deployment process?
✓I will give you a walk-through of how the authentication works.

Real examples

in a code review meeting

"Before we merge this, I want to do a walk-through of the database schema changes with the team."

in a standup

"Yesterday I completed a walk-through of the new API endpoints with the frontend developers."

in onboarding

"On your first day, the tech lead will give you a walk-through of our development workflow."

Don't say this

Handle with care. Often confused with walk through (two words, meaning to physically move through something). The hyphenated walk-through is a noun referring to a guided explanation or demonstration.

✕We need to do a walk through of this feature.
✓We need to do a walk-through of this feature.— Walk-through must be hyphenated when used as a noun.
✕I will walk-through you the system architecture.
✓I will walk you through the system architecture.— When used as a verb phrase, it is walk through (two words). The hyphenated form is only a noun.
✕Can you provide a walk-through on how to use Python?
✓Can you provide a walk-through of how to use Python?— Use of instead of on when describing what the walk-through covers.

Other forms

noun

walk-through

"The architect gave a walk-through of the system design."

verb phrase

walk through

"Let me walk you through the deployment steps."

Often used with

give a walk-throughTo provide or conduct a walk-through for someone.
do a walk-throughTo perform or conduct a walk-through as a group activity.
quick walk-throughA brief, faster version of a walk-through covering the main points.
code walk-throughA walk-through specifically focused on reviewing source code.
security walk-throughA detailed review of security measures or vulnerabilities.

Similar words

walkthroughSame meaning but written as one word (less common in modern tech English).
code reviewSimilar process but walk-through is broader and can apply to any process or feature.
demoSimilar in showing how something works, but demo is usually more formal and polished; walk-through is more detailed and educational.
tutorialSimilar in teaching aspect, but tutorial is usually a recorded or written guide; walk-through is interactive and live.

Opposites

black box (understanding nothing about the process)abstraction (hiding implementation details)

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Practice

Try it

4 quick exercises

Pick the most natural phrasing

1. Your manager asks you to explain how the new feature works to your team. What do you say?

Complete the sentence

2. Before we deploy to production, we should do a _______ of the entire deployment process.

Spot the mistake

3. Which sentence uses walk-through incorrectly?

Rewrite naturally

4. Rewrite this in natural tech English using walk-through: 'I need to explain to the team how the database migration will happen step by step.'

Questions

Quick poll

Have you said "walk-through" in a standup this week?

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