plod

verb

ˈpläd How to pronounce plod (audio)
Definition of plodnext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to drag
to move slowly plodded reluctantly off to work

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to shuffle
to move heavily or clumsily wayfarers plodding across the sandy wastes

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of plod But plodding through them offers little pleasure, guilty or otherwise. — Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2026 Brunson was too small (6-foot-2), not long enough (with a 6-foot-4 wingspan) and too plodding. — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 3 June 2026 By all accounts, the rocket was viewed as a major success for a company that, for so long, had seemed to plod along. — Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 29 May 2026 The other human beings his size have either been plodding trees who can barely get up the floor or rail-thin gazelles who can’t handle the G-forces their bodies generate at full speed. — Jared Weiss, New York Times, 24 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for plod
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plod
  1. struggle
  2. stumble
  3. drag
  4. shuffle
  5. strive
  6. trudge
  7. crawl
  8. stomp
Verb
  • In this edition of the AJC On Campus Roundup, the number of Georgians struggling to pay them back has skyrocketed.
    — Jason Armesto, AJC.com, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Some have done so successfully, others have struggled to reach such heights.
    — Eduardo Tansley, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of struggle
Verb
  • According to The New York Times, a detective within the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department who had been assigned to dig into the Shakur cold case stumbled upon Davis’ memoir and used it as evidence to build his case against him.
    — Marlow Stern, Variety, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Drunken dragonrider Ulf the White's rage proves pivotal Debaucherous dragonrider Ulf White (Tom Bennett) stumbles into playing a major role in the final battle with his dragon Silverwing.
    — Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of stumble
Verb
  • Pourrain submitted a request for extension of his stay, was awaiting an appointment, the process dragged on for years, and in the meantime, he was granted a work permit and had a valid driver’s license.
    — Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 12 Aug. 2026
  • But Beaman is quick to point out that people shouldn't simply head into the woods and start dragging things out themselves.
    — Spencer Wilson, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of drag
Verb
  • Because tokenized stocks exist alongside stablecoins and other digital assets on the same network, investors can move money between spending, saving, and investing without shuffling it across separate institutions.
    — Malana VanTyler, jsonline.com, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Lyman and her family stood to leave, and although none of them spoke, the sound of more than 30 mourners shuffling out of a quiet room was enough to halt the court proceedings for a moment.
    — Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of shuffle
Verb
  • First Tee is a youth development organization that strives to building strength of character in kids using the game of golf.
    — Zach Schenfisch, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
  • The proposal to redevelop Corporate Woods comes at a time when the city strives to transform the area into a more walkable and vibrant space for residents, workers and visitors.
    — Taylor O'Connor August 12, Kansas City Star, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of strive
Verb
  • Outside, women trudge past in a rainbow of saris that cling to their fragile frames, seared by the punishing sun.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The man who trudged across the state for a few minutes to speak to Democrats to tell his story — and make the case against a governor that most of them undoubtedly had voted for in two previous elections — is an introvert.
    — Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of trudge
Verb
  • And imagine the bear, cornered in an unfamiliar lair, seeing the light of the only exit blocked by this larger attacker that did not howl or bark, but crawled silently toward him through the addled dogs.
    — Paul Schullery, Outdoor Life, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Tests on Boston Dynamics’ Atlas, Unitree’s G1 and Boston Dynamics’ Spot showed the robots could perform crawling, cartwheels, handstands, soccer kicks and other complex movements across different robotic body types.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of crawl
Verb
  • Each day, the women were woken at six, with the sounds of stomping boots and barking dogs.
    — Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
  • There's almost a ballad essence to it, even though it's got that stomping kick to it.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of stomp

Browse Nearby Words

plinths
plod
plodded
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Cite this Entry

“Plod.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plod. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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