1
as in to struggle
to devote serious and sustained effort
plodded night and day to get the assignment done
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to stumble
to proceed or act clumsily or ineffectually
oxen plodding through deep mud
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
4
as in to shuffle
to move heavily or clumsily
wayfarers plodding across the sandy wastes
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of plod
The buildup of naval assets off and around the coast of Iran is blunt and plodding.
—
Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 31 Jan. 2026
Main roads throughout the city were largely clear Monday morning, but pedestrians had to plod through snow on some sidewalks and multiple subway lines with above-ground tracks saw delays.
—Charlotte Kramon, Chicago Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
And while that hasn’t always been by choice (the draft lottery didn’t do them any favors), the Red Wings’ patient, plodding rebuild has been a case study in just how long the process can take if just a couple of elements go wrong.
—Max Bultman, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2026
Minnesota’s defense has been unreliable lately, but Wisconsin’s offense has plodded most of the year.
—Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 28 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for plod
Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 31 Jan. 2026
Main roads throughout the city were largely clear Monday morning, but pedestrians had to plod through snow on some sidewalks and multiple subway lines with above-ground tracks saw delays.
—Charlotte Kramon, Chicago Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
And while that hasn’t always been by choice (the draft lottery didn’t do them any favors), the Red Wings’ patient, plodding rebuild has been a case study in just how long the process can take if just a couple of elements go wrong.
—Max Bultman, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2026
Minnesota’s defense has been unreliable lately, but Wisconsin’s offense has plodded most of the year.
—Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 28 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for plod
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plod
Verb
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Perhaps those June friendlies in Florida will give him one more chance to experiment, but the simple reality is that any Kane-less plan will struggle to get off the ground.—
Jack Pitt-Brooke,
New York Times,
1 Apr. 2026
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The waiver was established by the TEA to provide additional flexibility to go out of state to find qualified leaders to right the ships of struggling districts.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Kansas City Royals ace Cole Ragans stumbled off the mound in the first inning of Friday evening’s season opener at Truist Park.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
28 Mar. 2026
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Bleeding heavily, Waaler stumbles into a corridor and slowly takes his last breath as Hole, who jumped out at the floor above and ran back downstairs, watches, gun in hand.—
K.J. Yossman,
Variety,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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That said, its opposition to severe Pluto presses against your dependable 6th house, potentially dragging you away from rest.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
27 Mar. 2026
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The Transportation Security Administration may have to shut down operations at some airports if the budget impasse drags on, the agency’s acting head said yesterday, even as record wait times for travelers did little to end the standoff over the funding fight in Congress.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Royals shuffled their outfield this offseason.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
26 Mar. 2026
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The living room has been moved to the second floor in the plans and other rooms were shuffled around, though the project’s size and general design remain roughly the same.—
Noah Lyons,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The company strives to be a good neighbor and is mindful of the importance of ensuring residents have clear and safe access in and out of their homes throughout the day.—
Steve Maugeri,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
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Alejandra Flores, the school Wellness Space support specialist, said the district strives to support mental health and provides wellness resources for the community, including students, staff and parents.—
Abigail Min,
Mercury News,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Much has happened since, when the Hornets trudged out of Madison Square Garden with a 6-16 mark.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Mar. 2026
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However, even as the team trudges to a play-in spot rather than a top seed, Green was adamant that the Warriors’ standard of competitiveness cannot change.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But they are really designed and developed to crawl over and destroy everything.—
Joel Feder,
The Drive,
26 Mar. 2026
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Maritime trade is crawling at Georgia’s ports, but the state authority that operates the nation’s third-busiest cargo terminals isn’t throttling back its expansion efforts.—
Adam Van Brimmer,
AJC.com,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents stomped around here like rabid Goths wearing bearskin vests.—
Joe Soucheray,
Twin Cities,
28 Mar. 2026
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At times, their set had the foot-stomping intensity of a tent revival.—
Joey Guerra,
Houston Chronicle,
23 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Plod.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plod. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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