plough through
Work doggedly onward
To plough through something is to move forward with steady, laborious effort.
You plough through deep snow, a dense crowd, or a stack of paperwork.
The image is of a plough cutting through resistant earth—progress that requires force and persistence: I ploughed through three hundred pages of legal documents.
Also spelled plow through.
Things in the way
- difficultiesProblems to overcome
- challengesDifficulties requiring effort
- setbacksReversals of progress
- adversitySevere difficulty or suffering
hardship · barriers · resistance · struggles · tough times · problems · hurdles · complications
Divided amounts allocated
- helpingsMeasured food portions
- servingsIndividual food portions
- platefulsDish-sized food quantities
- foodConsumable nourishment source
meal · feast · spread · buffet · seconds · courses · dishes · leftovers
Bound paper sheets
- chaptersMain divisions of text
- documentsFormal written records
- paperworkAdministrative written tasks
- reportsFormal written findings
manuscripts · novels · texts · articles · emails · correspondence · material · literature
obstacles
Things in the way
- difficultiesProblems to overcome
- challengesDifficulties requiring effort
- setbacksReversals of progress
adversity · hardship · barriers · resistance · struggles · tough times · problems · hurdles · complications · workload
portions
Divided amounts allocated
food · meal · feast · spread · buffet · seconds · courses · dishes · leftovers · snacks
pages
Bound paper sheets
reports · manuscripts · novels · texts · articles · emails · correspondence · material · literature · volumes
textbooks
Educational reference volumes
- notesBrief written records
- courseworkStudent academic tasks
- revisionAltering to improve
cramming · exam prep · lectures · syllabi · chapters · material · curriculum · modules · concepts · theories
plough throughskim
Pass over lightly
skim through · skim over · leaf through · browse · scan
plough throughgive up on
abandon · quit · throw in the towel · set aside · put down
plough, through, ploughed, ploughing, ploughs, ploughman, ploughshare, plowed, plowing