plough one's way

English

Alternative forms

• plow one's way (US)

Verb

plough one's way (third-person singular simple present ploughs one's way, present participle ploughing one's way, simple past and past participle ploughed one's way)

1. (idiomatic) To make one's way.
   • 1903, W. H. Henshaw, “A Sea-Serpent in Hawaii”, in Thomas George Thrum, compiler, Hawaiian Annual and Almanac, Thomas George Thrum, page 68:

     It was not until centuries later, when the ships of the white invader ploughed their way islandward, that flies and mosquitoes, centipedes and scorpions, and a host of insect pests, large and small, were introduced to temper the delights of the island paradise for all future time.