plug away

verb

plugged away; plugging away; plugs away
Synonyms of plug awaynext
informal
: to continue doing something even though it is difficult or boring
often + at
She kept plugging away at her homework.

Examples of plug away in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Uruguay is plugging away, trying to tie things up before halftime, but they’re being met by a wall in the form of Al-Owais. Andrew Greif, NBC news, 16 June 2026 But the believers kept plugging away. Terry Baddoo, USA Today, 14 June 2026 With the entertainment industry in flux and talk everywhere about new models, Level Forward has been plugging away at one as a public benefit corporation — a for-profit company legally required to balance a focus on earnings with positive societal or environmental impact. Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 19 May 2026 Lawmakers in the House and Senate plugged away with some final formal votes, in between lengthy and teary tributes to the members who are term-limited or otherwise not returning to the Capitol. Nick Coltrain, Denver Post, 14 May 2026 However, the 10 men kept plugging away in what was a pulsating end-to-end encounter and got a goal back after 68 minutes when Casemiro bulleted a header past Karl Darlow from a Ruben Fernandes cross. ABC News, 13 Apr. 2026 Thompson, Rainey and Trusio are still plugging away at their searches, and adding to their spreadsheets, one row and column at a time. Sarah Jackson, CNBC, 9 Apr. 2026 Multiply that by all the AC units worldwide that plug away in their respective summers, and the total condensate comes down to roughly 4 billion cubic meters. Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 26 Jan. 2026 Behind the scenes, countless other volunteers and organizations are plugging away, preferring to stay out of the limelight. Kyla Mandel, Time, 16 Jan. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Plug away.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plug%20away. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster