1 B1 neutral
To move through a crowd or physical obstacle with force and determination
"The running back plowed through the defensive line to score the winning touchdown."
inseparable
plow through
B2 informal inseparable transitive
To move or work through something with sustained force or effort, often slowly or laboriously
In plain English
To push your way through something difficult, like reading a long book or eating a big meal
What does "plow through" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic informal
To read, process, or work through a large amount of material laboriously
"I spent the whole weekend plowing through the legal documents before the meeting on Monday."
inseparable
3 B2 idiomatic informal
To eat a large quantity of food steadily and enthusiastically
"The kids plowed through three pizzas before anyone could blink."
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To drive a plow through soil or terrain
Actually means
To push your way through something difficult, like reading a long book or eating a big meal
Usage tip
Very versatile — used for physical obstacles, large amounts of food, long texts, or heavy workloads. The image is of a plow pushing relentlessly forward through heavy soil. Very common in informal British and American English.
Words that pair with "plow through"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
paperwork crowd snow backlog report meal book inbox
How to conjugate "plow through"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
plow through
I/you/we/they
3rd person
plows through
he/she/it
Past simple
plowed through
yesterday
Past participle
plowed through
have + pp
-ing form
plowing through
continuous
Hear "plow through" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "plow through" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
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