PLOD Synonyms: 159 Similar and Opposite Words

plod

verb

ˈpläd

Definition of plod

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

as in to stumble

to proceed or act clumsily or ineffectually oxen plodding through deep mud

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to drag

to move slowly plodded reluctantly off to work

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 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 Just last week, an Alameda County jury awarded $16 million to one such abuse victim, in a key case aimed at spurring long-plodding settlement talks between other abuse victims and the diocese. — Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 30 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for plod

Recent Examples of Synonyms for plod

Verb

On the other hand, if a teenager is struggling and isn’t involved in any activities, encourage them to explore their interests as a way of making those initial connections.

— Kara Alaimo, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2026
New telescopes in the $50 range are usually tiny 50- to 70-millimeter refractors that struggle with faint objects.

— Damian Peach, Space.com, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of struggle

Verb

Pochettino was hired in 2024 to right the ship after the men's team stumbled in a crucial tournament in the run-up to this summer's World Cup.

— Becky Sullivan, NPR, 3 Aug. 2026
Facebook stumbled out of the gate and trended lower for months before bottoming at less than half its IPO price.

— Lora Kolodny, CNBC, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of stumble

Verb

The complainant, who was not identified in the initial case report, said Celeste was attacked by a dog and dragged through the woods.

— Rafael Escalera Montoto, Arkansas Online, 5 Aug. 2026
In March, as the criminal investigation dragged on and many wondered if Burke would ever face charges, Jane, the girl who frequently messaged with Burke before Rivas Hernandez, dreamt about him on his birthday.

— Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of drag

Verb

The results indicated continued progress in CVS' broader turnaround plan, which has involved cutting $2 billion in costs, closing underperforming stores, shuffling leadership and reducing costs within Medicare Advantage plans.

— Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 5 Aug. 2026
Few heads turn despite her tall, unmistakable frame shuffling across the floor.

— Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of shuffle

Verb

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum ruled out fracking in a key basin, citing danger to nearby water tables and indigenous communities — a move that highlights her political balancing act as the country strives to wean off US energy.

— Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 6 Aug. 2026
Leaders should strive to embed a security engineer directly into product squads from the design phase, turning cryptographic requirements into ordinary user stories rather than late-stage compliance findings.

— Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of strive

Verb

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
The women had come so far together over the last three decades and were now eagerly trudging forward, side-by-side, to whatever came next.

— Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 30 July 2026

Definition of trudge

Verb

Past that, Xbox has to figure out how to crawl out of the hole that is its console market, which has cratered in recent years.

— Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
The feat, says study coauthor and NSO senior scientist Friedrich Wöger, is equivalent to seeing ants crawling on Earth’s surface from an altitude of 100 miles (about 160 km).

— Lee Billings, Scientific American, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of crawl

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plinths

plod

plodded

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“Plod.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plod. Accessed 9 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of plod

verb

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