to mow a swath

7.9

To cut a path through tall grass and plants with a scythe or mower

phrasal verb
/moʊ ə swɔθ/

: desbrozar

He decided to mow a swath through the wildflowers to create a path to the picnic area.

Examples

With his scythe, the farmer quickly mowed a swath across the overgrown field.
The hikers mowed a swath through the dense undergrowth to reach the clearing.
Emergency workers mowed a swath through the debris to rescue the trapped family.
Using the new mower, we can mow a swath through the tall grass in no time.
To prepare the field for planting, we need to mow a swath around the edges first.

Synonyms

to mow

vsto mow a swath

85 1.0

To cut grass or crops with a machine like a lawnmower

focuses on cutting a clear path through growth rather than general cutting

to cut the grass

vsto mow a swath

9 1.0

To make the grass in a garden short using a lawnmower

means cutting to open a path through plants rather than even lawn trimming

to scythe

vsto mow a swath

1 7.4

To cut grass or crops using a long curved blade

uses the same cutting action but emphasizes clearing a path through vegetation

How Much

to sweep away

1 3.9

to clearcut

5.6

to mow a swath

7.9

Surface Forms

mow a swath infinitive

mowed a swath past

mowed a swath past participle

mowing a swath present participle

mows a swath third person singular

Morphology

mow + a + swath

The meaning 'to cut a path through an area' is directly and literally composed from 'mow' (to cut vegetation) + 'swath' (a broad cleared strip); a B1 learner who knows those words can infer the action. The article 'a' is semantically neutral and the verb + object composition follows common, cross-linguistic patterns, supporting immediate comprehension.

Etymology

Mow a swath comes from the picture of someone using a scythe or mower to mow and leave a wide strip, a swath, through tall grass or plants, making a clear path. So the phrase now means 'to cut a path through an area' or to push through things in the way.