# plow the sands

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/plow-the-sands
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

to spend considerable time and effort to do something useless; to waste time

## Examples

- Trying to fix that broken machine is just plowing the sands.
- He spent all weekend arguing with the neighbor, but he was only plowing the sands because the man refused to listen.
- The committee realized that continuing to debate the impossible proposal was merely plowing the sands, so they finally decided to abandon the project entirely.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.