plow up
B2 neutral separable transitive
In simple words
To dig up and turn over soil with a plow, or to rip up a surface by moving heavily over it
Literal meaning: To plow a surface upward, breaking and overturning it
Meanings
1 B2 neutral
To break up land or soil with a plow, especially land that has not been farmed recently
"They plowed up the old meadow and converted it to arable land for growing vegetables."
Grammar: separable
2 B2
idiomatic
informal
To churn up or damage a soft surface through heavy, repeated movement
"The horses had completely plowed up the field by the end of the polo match."
Grammar: separable
Usage notes
Used literally in farming contexts to describe breaking new ground or previously unused land. Also used informally to describe the way vehicles, feet, or hooves churn up a soft surface like mud or turf. More common in American English.
Commonly used with
field meadow lawn turf mud pasture ground
Forms
Base
plow up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
plows up
he/she/it
Past simple
plowed up
yesterday
Past participle
plowed up
have + pp
-ing form
plowing up
continuous
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