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."
inseparable
plow into
B1 neutral inseparable transitive
To collide with something with great force, or to start something energetically
In plain English
To crash into something hard, or to start doing something with a lot of energy
What does "plow into" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
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."
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."
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To drive a plow into something
Actually means
To crash into something hard, or to start doing something with a lot of energy
Usage tip
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.
Words that pair with "plow into"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
wall crowd work task debt savings vehicle barrier
How to conjugate "plow into"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
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
Hear "plow into" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "plow into" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
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