1
as in to struggle
to devote serious and sustained effort
plodded night and day to get the assignment done
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
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
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Recent Examples of plod
To the credit of Brooks and company, his results are less plodding than many such Z-grade fantasies were.
—
Dennis Harvey, Variety, 2 May 2025
And its sound was focused, pure, so unlike plodding, woofy dreadnoughts.
—Literary Hub, 4 June 2025
While the cases challenging the firing of probationary employees have plodded through the courts, the Trump administration has moved ahead with other stages of mass layoffs.
—Eileen Sullivan, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2025
This might be what the song is supposed to be, but it’s crushed under the weight of the drawling vocals, plodding production, and an unnecessary final key change.
—Kristen S. Hé, Vulture, 19 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for plod
Dennis Harvey, Variety, 2 May 2025
And its sound was focused, pure, so unlike plodding, woofy dreadnoughts.
—Literary Hub, 4 June 2025
While the cases challenging the firing of probationary employees have plodded through the courts, the Trump administration has moved ahead with other stages of mass layoffs.
—Eileen Sullivan, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2025
This might be what the song is supposed to be, but it’s crushed under the weight of the drawling vocals, plodding production, and an unnecessary final key change.
—Kristen S. Hé, Vulture, 19 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for plod
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plod
Verb
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O’Neal’s involvement in the FTX litigation generated headlines when process servers representing the investors struggled to track down the 7-foot-1, 325-pound very recognizable former NBA star.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
16 June 2025
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Both struggling defenders were pulled at halftime, replaced with like-for-like alternatives (Reed Baker-Whiting and Jon Bell) who fared better in the second half.—
Jeff Rueter,
New York Times,
16 June 2025
Verb
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Then in 2022, with escalating inflation and consumer pressure, the stock stumbled again with a 63% drop.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
16 June 2025
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Scott made the turn at even-par but a bogey-bogey-double bogey stumble from holes Nos. 14-16 ended his tournament.—
Gabby Herzig,
New York Times,
16 June 2025
Verb
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But by the late 1970s, as negotiations over a treaty dragged on, Congress grew receptive to industry lobbyists seeking legislation that would protect their investments in mining sites beyond U.S. maritime jurisdiction.—
Time,
Time,
17 June 2025
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What were the final few days like? Exhausting and dragging on.—
Kate Aurthur,
Variety,
17 June 2025
Verb
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Nicolo Barella would often drop between Stefan de Vrij and right centre-back Matteo Darmian or pull wide outside of Urawa’s defensive block to kickstart Inter’s possession, meaning the Japanese side were comfortable shuffling from side to side with the game in front of them.—
James Horncastle,
New York Times,
21 June 2025
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The latest major example of this reliable horror subgenre shuffling (or in this case running) into theaters is 28 Years Later.—
James Grebey,
Time,
20 June 2025
Verb
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Jared, a division of Signet Jewelers, is striving to increase its relevancy to today’s customers in other ways as well.—
David Moin,
Footwear News,
16 June 2025
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For the striving artists, a steady job is not a compromise but a strategic advantage, a powerful catalyst for sustained creativity and personal well-being.—
Kice Akkawi,
Rolling Stone,
16 June 2025
Verb
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Throughout hunt, chase and combat, Maclean and Ryan feature wide shots of enemies trudging across lakes and coves that suggest tribal movement across continents.—
Armond White,
National Review,
4 June 2025
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Biologists trudged through the grassy nature preserve carrying cloth bags that contained fearsome-seeming cargo: 42 snake-eating apex predators, bred in Lake County.—
Olivia Lloyd,
The Orlando Sentinel,
12 May 2025
Verb
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The next day, at 9:10 p.m., Boelter crawled out of a wooded area and surrendered to law enforcement.—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
27 June 2025
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To make the stakes even higher, Player 39 crawls to the edge after the round ends.—
Jennifer Zhan,
Vulture,
27 June 2025
Verb
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The dinos will stomp back into theaters just in time to set off major fireworks at the Fourth of July holiday, or at least that’s the hope.—
Pamela McClintock,
HollywoodReporter,
12 June 2025
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To close out the show, Megan stomped down the catwalk in the Dipped in Gold One-Piece from her swimwear collection, made in collaboration with Walmart.—
Starr Bowenbank,
People.com,
30 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Plod.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plod. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
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