The prefix PER- most closely means

• A. Through
• B. To the End
• C. Thoroughly
• D. Near

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is that the prefix per- signals movement through, across, or throughout. You can see this in many everyday words: permeate means to spread through something; perforate means to make a hole through something; percolate describes liquid filtering or moving through a substance. Because of this widespread sense of passing through, per- most strongly aligns with the idea of “through.”

That’s why the best choice is through. Near describes closeness, which isn’t connected to the prefix’s typical meaning. The notion of “to the end” doesn’t capture what per- usually conveys, and while thoroughness can be a nuanced byproduct in some words, the core, most consistent sense of per- is moving through or across.