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

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

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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 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 The Senate should be plodding, and steady, and boring, and trustworthy. — Scott Pelley, CBS News, 26 Apr. 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
  • Goldin, who also spent last season on a two-way contract with the Heat after going undrafted last year out of Michigan, struggled in Monday’s summer league loss.
    — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 14 July 2026
  • Turkey struggled against the USMNT’s corners throughout the game, with multiple chances created from outswinging corners towards the penalty spot.
    — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 14 July 2026
Definition of struggle
Verb
  • The huge animals knocked bodies to the cobblestones, and stumbling runners caused several pileups during the two-and-a-half-minute run from the pen to the bull ring where bullfighters will kill the bulls later in the day.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 July 2026
  • The huge animals knocked down bodies to the cobblestones, and stumbling runners caused several pileups during the 2½-minute run from the pen to the bullring where bullfighters would kill the bulls later in the day.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 11 July 2026
Definition of stumble
Verb
  • On Tuesday, the roller-coaster ride for AI stocks whipped back down, dragging Wall Street lower.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 July 2026
  • With the process dragging on for months, the split of drama and comedy into separate departments, with Smith as head of the former, emerged as a likely scenario by mid-May.
    — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 8 July 2026
Definition of drag
Verb
  • The Chicago Cubs have been shuffling the lower levels of their organization ahead of the trade deadline, looking to recapture some strong momentum from the beginning of the season to help drive a playoff push in the second half.
    — Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
  • One Wednesday evening in May, at the boutique hotel Dream Hollywood — located just off the Walk of Fame — a young hotel staff member shuffled over to her co-worker to discuss a special guest on the top floor.
    — Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026
Definition of shuffle
Verb
  • The decision could impact midterm election outcomes, as Republicans strive to defend a thin majority in the Senate.
    — Rebecca Schneid, Time, 8 July 2026
  • The energy, the competitiveness and the daily consistency to strive to be a little bit better each and every day.
    — Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 July 2026
Definition of strive
Verb
  • Claus trudged to the monitor, watched the foul on an agonizing loop and promptly handed Balogun a red card.
    — Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 2 July 2026
  • The next morning a young man, who Colocousis said showed up in a Jeep with New York plates, trudged across a thin layer of snow to his doorstep.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 30 June 2026
Definition of trudge
Verb
  • The lights off method is a simple means of identifying places in the garage where bugs or rodents might be crawling in.
    — Kate Van Pelt, The Spruce, 7 July 2026
  • Their father dismounted, went down on foot, climbed the fence his son had crawled under.
    — Emily Ruskovich, The Atlantic, 7 July 2026
Definition of crawl
Verb
  • The name Chelydra serpentina evokes colossal reptiles stomping through ancient forests.
    — Hannah Smith July 1, Idaho Statesman, 1 July 2026
  • If anything, the dichotomy between the pop star who prances around Versailles in a sheer nightie and the pop star who stomps onstage in knee-high combat boots feels completely authentic and intentional.
    — Chelsey Sanchez, CNN Money, 25 June 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 16 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of plod for Spanish Speakers

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