COMMON If you put someone or something through their paces, you make them show you how well they can do something. The British coach, Ian Irwin, is putting the boxers through their paces. Dozens of tanks are being put through their paces to check that they're running correctly. Note: You can also say that someone or something goes through their paces if they show what they can do. After watching the machine go through its paces, he asked if it could be adapted to cook other foods. Note: To put a horse through its paces means to test it to see how well it has been trained.