1
as in raking
to cut into and turn over the sod of (a piece of land) using a bladed implement
we'll have to get out there and plow and plant both fields before it rains
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in laboring
to devote serious and sustained effort
plowed determinedly through the weighty tome
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of plowing
Others have issues with the imagery on the seal on the flag, which depicts a settler plowing the land as a Native American rides off on horseback into the distance.
—
Nick Lentz, CBS News, 28 Feb. 2026
While plowing through waist-deep powder in Tahoe, California, two skiers came across a third buried below the surface.
—Madison Dapcevich, Outside, 26 Feb. 2026
Now imagine a 6-3, 204-pound Spellacy plowing toward you with a top-15 speed.
—Kalen Lumpkins, Chicago Tribune, 25 Feb. 2026
Whitman Littlefield Rhode Island is still digging out, plowing streets and recovering from a record-setting blizzard that struck the state Monday, Feb 23.
—Eryn Dion, The Providence Journal, 24 Feb. 2026
City workers are plowing and salting the streets so emergency vehicles can safely travel.
—Phil Helsel, NBC news, 23 Feb. 2026
What’s wrong with being uncomfortable and plowing through demanding texts that challenge us to think about bygone times, far-off places and painful emotions, poignantly expressed?
—Patricia Steckler, Baltimore Sun, 21 Feb. 2026
Every public road has a local municipality in charge of plowing it.
—Natalie Davies, Freep.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Officials warned about slow plowing efforts for this one reason.
—Sofi Zeman
january 29, Kansas City Star, 29 Jan. 2026
Nick Lentz, CBS News, 28 Feb. 2026
While plowing through waist-deep powder in Tahoe, California, two skiers came across a third buried below the surface.
—Madison Dapcevich, Outside, 26 Feb. 2026
Now imagine a 6-3, 204-pound Spellacy plowing toward you with a top-15 speed.
—Kalen Lumpkins, Chicago Tribune, 25 Feb. 2026
Whitman Littlefield Rhode Island is still digging out, plowing streets and recovering from a record-setting blizzard that struck the state Monday, Feb 23.
—Eryn Dion, The Providence Journal, 24 Feb. 2026
City workers are plowing and salting the streets so emergency vehicles can safely travel.
—Phil Helsel, NBC news, 23 Feb. 2026
What’s wrong with being uncomfortable and plowing through demanding texts that challenge us to think about bygone times, far-off places and painful emotions, poignantly expressed?
—Patricia Steckler, Baltimore Sun, 21 Feb. 2026
Every public road has a local municipality in charge of plowing it.
—Natalie Davies, Freep.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Officials warned about slow plowing efforts for this one reason.
—Sofi Zeman
january 29, Kansas City Star, 29 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plowing
Verb
-
Matt McLain added muscle, is now raking On the one hand, McLain adding a dozen pounds of muscle in the offseason seems like an unambiguously positive development.—
Andy Behrens,
New York Times,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Allow the surface to dry then prepare the seed bed by raking the soil smooth.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Imagine living in the dictatorship of North Korea, hungry all the time, laboring for no pay.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
8 Mar. 2026
-
The son of a medical-gas plumber who worked night shifts, Darnold just kept laboring at his craft.—
Sally Jenkins,
The Atlantic,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Iran had been building that capacity in Iraq since the 1980s, cultivating Shia political networks, exile parties and militia groups during and after the Iran-Iraq War and beyond with the explicit goal of ensuring a post-Saddam Iraq would never again threaten Iranian security.—
Farah N. Jan,
The Conversation,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Organizations that fail to provide clearer pathways risk losing the very leaders responsible for cultivating talent across the enterprise.—
Ruth Umoh,
Fortune,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
No workers for mundane tasks Diez revealed that manufacturers worldwide are struggling to find laborers for highly repetitive physical tasks.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Dogs generally aren’t allowed on cruises, but after struggling to find a flight that would allow pets in the cabin, Morris decided to bring Monty across the pond in the storied ocean liner’s kennels – one of the only ways cruise travelers' furry friends can sail the high seas.—
Nathan Diller,
USA Today,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Midway through Ramadan, Muslims across the United States are striving to maintain the holy month’s traditional mix of prayers and festive spirit under a cloud of worrisome events.—
Luis Andres Henao,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Figure on an almost completely different combination striving to finish games in August and September.—
Tim Cowlishaw,
Dallas Morning News,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Prep the planting spot by tilling the soil to a depth of 10 to 12 inches.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Data center details Heavy construction machines began surveying and tilling the earth at 501 North Bly Road in November, much to the surprise of Bly Road residents, who say they weren’t warned by the city.—
Ilana Arougheti,
Kansas City Star,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
China’s biggest chain of eye hospitals is working with an adviser on the share sale, the people said, asking not to be identified because the information is private.—
Julia Fioretti,
Bloomberg,
9 Mar. 2026
-
The papers allege that his working hours at the school and with the city overlapped.—
Cerys Davies,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Plowing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plowing. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
