抜(ぬ)くAll~, Completely, See through, Overcome, To the bitter end

When connected to the ます-stem of another verb, the う-Verb 抜(ぬ)く 'to extract' is often used to indicate that (A) has happened 'completely'. This 'extract' nuance frequently indicates that beyond completion, (A) has been 'overcome', or 'seen through to the bitter end'.

The literal meaning of 抜(ぬ)く can be thought of as being quite close to the English expression 'to pull through', for example, 'despite difficulties, I pulled through in the end'. Let's look at a few examples of where 抜(ぬ)く will be used.

Alternatively, 抜(ぬ)く may be used in situations where (A) is something that is done to a very deep or substantial degree. This nuance is less like 'to pull through', and closer to 'thoroughly', or simply 'deeply'. This meaning tends to appear with verbs that don't have an obvious end, like 知(し)る 'to know'.

Despite this nuance seeming different, the verb with 抜(ぬ)く attached to it in these types of sentences is usually considered to have already been done to a 'finished' degree, where there is nothing left beyond that point. With the example of 'to know', it would mean 'to know every single little detail'.

Caution - On most occasions, ぬく will be used when there is some hardship or adversity associated with the action. Also, unlike きる, ぬく will almost always be used in relation to human actions. きる on the other hand may be used in relation to either human actions or other events equally as naturally.