plow snow

Meanings

1. 1verbtransitive

   To push snow off a road, path, or other surface with a large blade or machine.

   Grammar: Takes an object: plow snow, plow the driveway. The object is the snow or the surface cleared.

   Patterns

   • plow snow
   • plow snow off something
   • plow something (a road, a driveway)

   The city sends trucks out to plow snow after every big storm.

   He was still plowing snow off the driveway when I called him.

   Crews plow snow all night so the morning commute is safer.

2. 2verbtransitive

   To clear a place such as a road or parking lot by pushing the snow away.

   Grammar: Here the object is the place, not the snow: plow the road means make the road clear.

   Patterns

   • plow something (a road, a lot)
   • plow something clear

   They plow the main roads first and the side streets later.

   The lot had been plowed before we arrived.

   Our neighbor plows our driveway for a small fee.

Word forms

Common combinations

plow the roads

Crews plow the roads as soon as the storm ends.

plow a driveway

He plows his driveway with a small tractor.

plow snow off something

They plowed snow off the sidewalk before sunrise.

a snowplow

A snowplow went past with its yellow lights flashing.

plowed streets

Stay on the plowed streets and avoid the unplowed ones.

Synonyms and how they differ

clear

Use 'clear' when the focus is on the result, not the method; 'plow' names the machine and the pushing action.

shovel

'Shovel' means moving snow by hand with a tool, which is much smaller in scale than plowing.

Word family

snowplow noun

a vehicle or blade used to push snow off roads

plow noun

the large blade or machine used for pushing snow or turning soil

plowing noun

the activity of clearing snow or turning soil with a plow

Commonly confused: plow snow or plough? plow snow or snowblower?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “plow snow”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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