# plough into

CEFR B2 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/plough-into
Updated: 2026-10-22

## Definition

to crash into something with a lot of force, especially when a vehicle is moving fast and cannot stop.

For teachers: To collide with a person or object with significant force, often implying an inability to stop. This transitive phrasal verb requires a direct object representing the entity struck.

## Examples

- The bus lost control and ploughed into a row of parked cars.
- After the brakes failed on the steep hill, the heavy truck ploughed into the side of a small café, luckily while it was closed.
- The vessel, caught in a violent gale, ploughed into the jagged rocks of the coastline, splintering its wooden hull almost instantly upon impact.

## Pitfalls

- Not "The car ploughed in the wall." but "The car ploughed into the wall." — The preposition 'into' is necessary to show the direction and impact of the collision.

## Usage notes

- This phrase is transitive and always requires an object to show what was hit.
- Teaching tip: Point out the spelling difference between British 'plough' and American 'plow', and note that it implies a heavy, unstoppable momentum compared to 'crash into'.

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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.