1 B2 neutral
To turn a crop or plant material into the soil by plowing, so it decomposes and enriches the earth
"The farmer plowed the clover under in autumn to act as a natural fertilizer for next year's crop."
separable
plow under
C1 neutral separable transitive
To turn crops or material into the soil with a plow, or to overwhelm and destroy something completely
In plain English
To bury something by plowing it into the ground, or to completely crush or destroy something
What does "plow under" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 C1 idiomatic neutral
To cause a business, organization, or person to fail by overwhelming or outcompeting them
"The arrival of the big-box retailer plowed several family-owned shops under within a year."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To push something under the soil using a plow
Actually means
To bury something by plowing it into the ground, or to completely crush or destroy something
Usage tip
The literal agricultural sense is specialized but clear. The figurative sense — meaning to cause something to fail or be destroyed by a superior force — is used in journalism and business contexts, particularly American English.
Words that pair with "plow under"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
crops competition cover crop small business weeds rivals
How to conjugate "plow under"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
plow under
I/you/we/they
3rd person
plows under
he/she/it
Past simple
plowed under
yesterday
Past participle
plowed under
have + pp
-ing form
plowing under
continuous
Hear "plow under" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "plow under" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
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