plough back
B2 neutral separable transitive
In simple words
To take the money a business makes and put it straight back into the business to make it grow.
Literal meaning: To use a plough to turn soil back into the ground.
Meanings
1 B2
idiomatic
neutral
To reinvest profits or earnings back into the same business or enterprise.
"The founders ploughed all their early profits back into research and development."
Grammar: separable
Usage notes
Chiefly British English in business and financial contexts. The agricultural metaphor is of ploughing organic matter back into soil to enrich it. Often followed by 'into': 'plough profits back into the company.'
Commonly used with
profits earnings money revenue funds gains
Forms
Base
plough back
I/you/we/they
3rd person
ploughs back
he/she/it
Past simple
ploughed back
yesterday
Past participle
ploughed back
have + pp
-ing form
ploughing back
continuous
Understand "plough back" better
Try:
Real video examples
Video examples are being collected. Check back soon.
Want to master this phrasal verb?
Practice "plough back" on Looplines