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plow into

B1 neutral inseparable transitive
In simple words

To crash into something hard, or to start doing something with a lot of energy

Literal meaning: To drive a plow into something

Meanings

1 B1 neutral

To crash into something or someone with great speed and force

"The out-of-control lorry plowed into a row of parked cars on the high street."

Grammar: inseparable
2 B2 idiomatic informal

To begin a task, subject, or activity with great energy and determination

"She sat down at her desk on Monday morning and plowed into the backlog of emails."

Grammar: inseparable
3 B2 idiomatic neutral

To invest large amounts of money into something

"The government plowed billions into the new rail network over the next decade."

Grammar: inseparable
Usage notes

The collision sense is very vivid and is common in news reporting. The figurative sense of beginning a task with energy is used in informal conversation. Often conveys a sense of uncontrolled or unstoppable momentum.

Commonly used with

wall crowd work task debt savings vehicle barrier

Forms

Base
plow into
I/you/we/they
3rd person
plows into
he/she/it
Past simple
plowed into
yesterday
Past participle
plowed into
have + pp
-ing form
plowing into
continuous

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