plough through — work through something laboriously
to finish reading, dealing with, or completing something that is long, difficult, or tedious, usually by making steady but slow progress
Say it like a native
Textbook I laboriously worked my way through the lengthy report.
Native I ploughed through the whole report.
'Plough through' captures the slog of getting through something long; the formal version is wordy. (US spelling 'plow'.)
Pattern: plough through + noun (e.g. paperwork, a book, emails)
In use
- I had to plough through hundreds of pages of research before I could start writing my essay.study
- In my last job, I often had to plough through long reports, which was quite exhausting but necessary to stay informed.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ I ploughed the report through.
✓ I ploughed through the report.
'Plough THROUGH' something — it isn't separable like that.
Common collocations
plough through + heavy thing— a report, the reading, paperwork, a thick book
Don't confuse it
Unlike the literal sense of 'plough' (to turn over soil), this sense is figurative and refers to making slow, determined progress through something difficult or tedious. It is stronger and more negative than simply 'get through' something.