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
For months, the two initiatives plodded along, with photo ops and declarations of good will.
—
Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025
The Demon Deacons coach ran towards Belichick while removing his hat as the six-time Super Bowl champion coach plodded his way across the field for a blow-by handshake.
—Andrew McCarty, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Nov. 2025
The first half of the film feels very slow and plodding.
—NPR, 11 Nov. 2025
Before the former became a modern classic, its debut was considered a touch plodding and a tad dark.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 6 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for plod
Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025
The Demon Deacons coach ran towards Belichick while removing his hat as the six-time Super Bowl champion coach plodded his way across the field for a blow-by handshake.
—Andrew McCarty, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Nov. 2025
The first half of the film feels very slow and plodding.
—NPR, 11 Nov. 2025
Before the former became a modern classic, its debut was considered a touch plodding and a tad dark.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 6 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for plod
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plod
Verb
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As China struggles with a prolonged economic slump, and the US has emerged with the highest number of billionaires in the world, with over 900 (up from 813 in 2024), more splashy events in the country will follow.—
Kati Chitrakorn,
CNN Money,
4 Feb. 2026
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His promotion comes at a moment when streaming, film and sports media remain in flux, and big studios and networks are struggling to predict how audiences will be consuming media three years from now.—
Allie Canal,
NBC news,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Hockey players, however, are team sport Winter Olympians who play professionally in leagues looking to capitalize on the millions of global viewers that might stumble onto the sport over the next two weeks.—
Sara Germano,
Sportico.com,
6 Feb. 2026
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Dumb luck certainly did favor the bold that night, as Dallas stumbled into Cooper Flagg despite having been a Play-In Tournament team.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Demanding papers, dragging away dissenters.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Slave catchers could capture them, kidnap them and drag them back South.—
Jesse Wright,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The race for Los Angeles mayor has been in an extraordinary state of flux, with the candidate lineup shuffling and reshuffling in the final days before the filing deadline.—
David Zahniser,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
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The Moore administration has chosen the opposite approach, doubling down on spending while shuffling money around in a game of three-card monte.—
J.B. Jennings,
Baltimore Sun,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Because Lindsey Vonn’s comeback and crash accomplished the one goal that all sports strive to achieve.—
Frederick Dreier,
Outside,
9 Feb. 2026
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Her two oldest boys will be big parts of the men’s team, striving for their first gold since 1980.—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Players and staff reloaded onto the team bus and trudged back into the city to hunker down at a hotel for the night.—
Jeff McDonald,
San Antonio Express-News,
1 Feb. 2026
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And no matter how intense the resistance, young Jalen would trudge ahead, willing his legs to move faster, farther, to finish each layup.—
Mirin Fader,
New York Times,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Maybe the girl had crawled under a neighbor's trailer while playing hide-and-seek.—
Kristine Phillips,
IndyStar,
5 Feb. 2026
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Well, there was a great deal left in me, in an agony of embarrassment looking around for that hole on the floor to crawl into.—
Natalia Sánchez Loayza,
Scientific American,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The first trailer for this macho survival flick just stomped onto the internet last week with a gung-ho spirit and guns blazing.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
9 Feb. 2026
-
The Seattle Seahawks stomped a mud hole in the New England Patriots.—
Prince J. Grimes,
USA Today,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Plod.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plod. Accessed 10 Feb. 2026.
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