1
as in to struggle
to devote serious and sustained effort
plodded night and day to get the assignment done
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
On the left, to the east, four thousand mercenaries plodded through the underbrush.
—
/ Cbs News, CBS News, 13 June 2025
But as the nineteenth century plodded onward, abolitionists had developed increasingly persuasive arguments for emancipation, provoking slaveowners to answer with a vicious theory of Black inferiority to defend bondage.
—Literary Hub, 5 June 2025
The third set plodded on with consistent serving until Popyrin found himself 15-40 at 4-5.
—Tim Ellis, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025
Throughout the month of May, Beijing and Washington made plodding progress toward a trade deal, both agreeing to lower and suspend duties on each other for a period of 90 days on May 12.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 16 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for plod
/ Cbs News, CBS News, 13 June 2025
But as the nineteenth century plodded onward, abolitionists had developed increasingly persuasive arguments for emancipation, provoking slaveowners to answer with a vicious theory of Black inferiority to defend bondage.
—Literary Hub, 5 June 2025
The third set plodded on with consistent serving until Popyrin found himself 15-40 at 4-5.
—Tim Ellis, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025
Throughout the month of May, Beijing and Washington made plodding progress toward a trade deal, both agreeing to lower and suspend duties on each other for a period of 90 days on May 12.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 16 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for plod
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plod
Verb
-
But some producers are already struggling thanks to other Trump administration moves and delays.—
Jenna McLaughlin,
NPR,
10 July 2025
-
But almost six months into his second mandate, his administration has struggled to keep the cost of the staple down.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 July 2025
Verb
-
Hegseth, a former Fox TV host who has stumbled through several controversies during his six months in office, sat silently next to Trump without volunteering any information about the decision that apparently came on his watch.—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
9 July 2025
-
Yet the two sides still disagree on key issues, and prior ceasefire talks have stumbled at later stages.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
8 July 2025
Verb
-
That’s good for everyone, even expat journalists dragging their kids along to cover a new story.—
Matthew Martin,
semafor.com,
11 July 2025
-
The plucky little superdog drags Superman to the Fortress of Solitude, where he is treated by a posse of robots.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
11 July 2025
Verb
-
All week, campers were shuffled from one activity to the next, mixing games, prayers and church services with lectures that coincide with lessons from the Bible.—
Paul Bersebach,
Oc Register,
12 July 2025
-
Guevara, 47, has been shuffled through three detention sites despite Immigration Judge James Ward’s decision to grant him bond on July 1, according to The Associated Press.—
Ashleigh Fields,
The Hill,
9 July 2025
Verb
-
Founded in 886 by King Alfred the Great, The Royal Mint strives to marry its illustrious history with innovations in sustainable sourcing of precious metals.—
Kyle Roderick,
Forbes.com,
10 July 2025
-
Dunham, in turn, strives to find new ways of expressing the emotion, through disarming dialogue and affecting tableaux.—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
10 July 2025
Verb
-
Rescue and recovery efforts trudged on for a fifth day after devastating flooding on July 4 in central Texas sent the water of the Guadalupe River surging into nearby campgrounds and low-lying homes and cars.—
Jaclyn Diaz,
NPR,
8 July 2025
-
Amid the devastation, first responders and volunteers trudge into muck and mud, scramble over debris piles and check emotions to poke and prod and chop and saw in search of still-missing victims.—
Suzanne Gamboa,
NBC news,
7 July 2025
Verb
-
In particular, website owners and SEO experts wanted to know how Cloudflare planned to block Google's bot from scraping sites to fuel AI overviews without risking blocking the same bot from crawling for valuable search engine placements.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
9 July 2025
-
Both are unable, under any circumstances, to resist crawling under someone doing a downward-facing dog.—
Erika Sjule,
New Yorker,
8 July 2025
Verb
-
Complaining on NextDoor about traffic, some locals fled downtown Austin like a movie monster was stomping behind them.—
Ramon Ramirez,
Austin American Statesman,
2 July 2025
-
Eighteen months ago, playing those songs inspired fans at the Ryman Auditorium to stomp their feet, throw Resistol hats in the air and soak church pews in alcohol for two hours.—
Marcus K. Dowling,
The Tennessean,
2 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Plod.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plod. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share