1 B1 neutral
To crash into something with great force, especially a vehicle hitting an obstacle or person.
"The out-of-control car ploughed into the shop front."
inseparable
plough into
B1 neutral inseparable transitive
To crash into something with great force and momentum, or to begin a task with great energy.
In plain English
To drive or run into something very hard, like a car hitting a wall, or to start something with a lot of energy.
What does "plough into" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic informal
To begin working on something with great energy and determination.
"She ploughed into the pile of paperwork on her first day back."
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
A plough driving forcefully into the ground.
Actually means
To drive or run into something very hard, like a car hitting a wall, or to start something with a lot of energy.
Usage tip
Common in news reports about accidents ('a truck ploughed into a crowd'). Metaphorically used for starting work energetically ('plough into the task'). Chiefly British English.
Words that pair with "plough into"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
crowd wall barrier car task work
How to conjugate "plough into"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
plough into
I/you/we/they
3rd person
ploughs into
he/she/it
Past simple
ploughed into
yesterday
Past participle
ploughed into
have + pp
-ing form
ploughing into
continuous
Hear "plough into" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "plough into" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
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