1
: an implement used to cut, lift, and turn over soil especially in preparing a seedbed
2
: any of various devices (such as a snowplow) operating like a plow
plowed; plowing; plows
1
a
: to turn, break up, or work with a plow
b
: to make (something, such as a furrow) with a plow
2
: to cut into, open, or make furrows or ridges in with or as if with a plow
3
: to cleave the surface of or move through (water)
whales plowing the ocean
4
: to clear away snow from with a snowplow
plow the street
5
: to spend or invest (money) in substantial amounts
—used with into
plow money into stocks
1
a
: to use a plow
b
: to undergo plowing
2
a
: to move forcefully into or through something
the car plowed into a fence
b
: to proceed steadily and laboriously
had to plow through a stack of letters
Synonyms
Examples of plow in a Sentence
Verb
The soil was freshly plowed.
They used oxen to plow the field.
My street hasn't been plowed yet.
We hired someone to plow the snow from our driveway.
The town won't start plowing until the storm is almost over.
a ship plowing the ocean
They continued to plow their way through the tall grass.
Recent Examples on the Web
Jolene Almendarez, The Enquirer, 28 Mar. 2024
Waldman even seems to revive an old agrarian connection between working and writing, between a line drawn by a plow and a line of poetry.
—Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2024
Potholes may have formed recently because of rain showers, or when plows were removing snow over the weekend, Woodrum said.
—Leo Bertucci, The Courier-Journal, 24 Jan. 2024
The Daily News Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK A vehicle with an attached snow plow pulled into a gas station along Joe B. Jackson Parkway after clearing snow on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2024.
—David Baratz, USA TODAY, 20 Jan. 2024
Even with graders, plows and tractors to help them clear snow, emergency personnel and tow trucks struggled to reach motorists for hours, some of whom were forced to abandon their cars on the highway.
—Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 2 Mar. 2024
Founder John Michael Kohler started the company in 1873 making plows and other farm tools, and now the $7 billion company produces bathroom fixtures, furniture, tiles, engines, generators and owns two Wisconsin golf courses.
—Alex Groth, Journal Sentinel, 26 Feb. 2024
And the second one: How sweet the fat earth’s pressure on the plow,
how the spring turns the steppe to its advantage . .
—Merve Emre, The New York Review of Books, 13 Feb. 2024
Nearby, three young men and a young woman stood ankle-deep in mud as a plow pushed debris to the side of the road.
—Angie Orellana Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2024
Jolene Almendarez, The Enquirer, 28 Mar. 2024
What is particularly disturbing is that, in this case, the vessel ends up plowing straight into one of the key supports for the bridge, clearly off course.
—Chris Baraniuk, WIRED, 26 Mar. 2024
Snow also has a practical impact, as the same work crews filling potholes are those plowing snow.
—Rory Appleton, The Indianapolis Star, 4 Mar. 2024
In addition, heavy snow can bury rope lines and signs, parking lots and dirt roads on mountainsides that are used for snow cat equipment that plows snow and grooms trails.
—Jane Tyska, The Mercury News, 1 Mar. 2024
Automakers across America have plowed millions of dollars into their electric vehicle strategies in recent years.
—Owen Bellwood / Jalopnik, Quartz, 24 Mar. 2024
The Jewish American group’s political arm plowed $5 million into a super PAC supporting Schiff.
—Benjamin Oreskes, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024
This triggered panic and some people were shot while others were plowed by trucks whose drivers tried to flee, eyewitnesses say.
—Tamara Qiblawi, CNN, 1 Mar. 2024
Virginia legislators plow through bills as session reaches midpoint
In practice, abortions at any point in the third trimester are extremely rare in Virginia and only occur in cases of severe medical issues.
—Gregory S. Schneider, Washington Post, 21 Feb. 2024
Noun
In the first instance, city council said in the censure that on Jan. 20, Brown used a city plow to clear a parking lot at a private business outside the city.
—Jolene Almendarez, The Enquirer, 28 Mar. 2024
Waldman even seems to revive an old agrarian connection between working and writing, between a line drawn by a plow and a line of poetry.
—Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2024
Potholes may have formed recently because of rain showers, or when plows were removing snow over the weekend, Woodrum said.
—Leo Bertucci, The Courier-Journal, 24 Jan. 2024
The Daily News Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK A vehicle with an attached snow plow pulled into a gas station along Joe B. Jackson Parkway after clearing snow on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2024.
—David Baratz, USA TODAY, 20 Jan. 2024
Even with graders, plows and tractors to help them clear snow, emergency personnel and tow trucks struggled to reach motorists for hours, some of whom were forced to abandon their cars on the highway.
—Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 2 Mar. 2024
Founder John Michael Kohler started the company in 1873 making plows and other farm tools, and now the $7 billion company produces bathroom fixtures, furniture, tiles, engines, generators and owns two Wisconsin golf courses.
—Alex Groth, Journal Sentinel, 26 Feb. 2024
And the second one: How sweet the fat earth’s pressure on the plow,
how the spring turns the steppe to its advantage . .
—Merve Emre, The New York Review of Books, 13 Feb. 2024
Nearby, three young men and a young woman stood ankle-deep in mud as a plow pushed debris to the side of the road.
—Angie Orellana Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2024
Verb
City Councilman Dan Martin said in an interview after the meeting that around the same time, city streets were not being plowed.
—Jolene Almendarez, The Enquirer, 28 Mar. 2024
What is particularly disturbing is that, in this case, the vessel ends up plowing straight into one of the key supports for the bridge, clearly off course.
—Chris Baraniuk, WIRED, 26 Mar. 2024
Snow also has a practical impact, as the same work crews filling potholes are those plowing snow.
—Rory Appleton, The Indianapolis Star, 4 Mar. 2024
In addition, heavy snow can bury rope lines and signs, parking lots and dirt roads on mountainsides that are used for snow cat equipment that plows snow and grooms trails.
—Jane Tyska, The Mercury News, 1 Mar. 2024
Automakers across America have plowed millions of dollars into their electric vehicle strategies in recent years.
—Owen Bellwood / Jalopnik, Quartz, 24 Mar. 2024
The Jewish American group’s political arm plowed $5 million into a super PAC supporting Schiff.
—Benjamin Oreskes, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024
This triggered panic and some people were shot while others were plowed by trucks whose drivers tried to flee, eyewitnesses say.
—Tamara Qiblawi, CNN, 1 Mar. 2024
Virginia legislators plow through bills as session reaches midpoint
In practice, abortions at any point in the third trimester are extremely rare in Virginia and only occur in cases of severe medical issues.
—Gregory S. Schneider, Washington Post, 21 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'plow.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near plow
Cite this Entry
“Plow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plow. Accessed 17 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
plow
1 of 2 noun1
: a farm machine used to cut, lift, and turn over soil
2
: a device (as a snowplow) used to spread or clear away matter on the ground
plow
2 of 2 verb1
: to open, break up, or work with a plow
plow a furrow
2
: to move forcefully into or through
a ship plowing the waves
3
: to go steadily and with great effort
plow through a report
4
: to clear away snow from with a plow
plow the road
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