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
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
Jake Parks, Discover Magazine, 11 Apr. 2025
The episode plows through a set of emotional conditions requiring the utmost delicacy and sensitivity, first going for awkward laughs and then just awkwardness, ultimately melting into a pile of unearned sap.
—Charles Bramesco, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2025
Bill Thomas, Outdoor Life, 24 Apr. 2025
But Beijing is plowing credit from that sector into industrial policy efforts that are boosting competitiveness.
—Kurt M. Campbell, Foreign Affairs, 10 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for plow
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
As our planet plows through the dust cloud, tiny particles — no bigger than grains of sand — occasionally slam into Earth’s atmosphere at nearly 30 miles per second.
—Jake Parks, Discover Magazine, 11 Apr. 2025
The episode plows through a set of emotional conditions requiring the utmost delicacy and sensitivity, first going for awkward laughs and then just awkwardness, ultimately melting into a pile of unearned sap.
—Charles Bramesco, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2025
Verb
One slug had broken a shoulder; the other had gone in between two ribs, plowed through the lungs, and lodged against a rib on the far side.
—Bill Thomas, Outdoor Life, 24 Apr. 2025
But Beijing is plowing credit from that sector into industrial policy efforts that are boosting competitiveness.
—Kurt M. Campbell, Foreign Affairs, 10 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for plow
Cite this Entry
“Plow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plow. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share