1 B1 neutral
To remove material such as snow, dirt, or debris from a place using a shovel
"After the blizzard, it took two hours to shovel out the driveway."
separable
shovel out
B2 informal separable transitive
To remove something (often snow, dirt, or money) from a place using a shovel or in a large, effortful way
In plain English
To use a shovel to remove something, or to spend or give out a large amount of money
What does "shovel out" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic informal
(Informal) To spend or distribute large amounts of money, often unwillingly
"The company has been shovelling out millions in legal fees since the lawsuit began."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To use a shovel to move material outward from a location — transparent
Actually means
To use a shovel to remove something, or to spend or give out a large amount of money
Usage tip
In the literal sense, most commonly used with snow, manure, or debris. In the figurative sense, used to describe spending or distributing large sums of money, often grudgingly. The money sense is informal and carries a connotation of excess.
Words that pair with "shovel out"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
snow manure dirt cash money gravel debris
How to conjugate "shovel out"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
shovel out
I/you/we/they
3rd person
shovels out
he/she/it
Past simple
shoveled out
yesterday
Past participle
shoveled out
have + pp
-ing form
shoveling out
continuous
Hear "shovel out" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "shovel out" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
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