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
The Senate should be plodding, and steady, and boring, and trustworthy.
—
Scott Pelley, CBS News, 26 Apr. 2026
The story was plodding, the characters frustrating, and the transitions through time poorly executed.
—Literary Hub, 23 Apr. 2026
Previous to that, markets had expected multiple cuts this year in an effort to shore up the plodding labor market.
—Jeff Cox, CNBC, 8 Apr. 2026
This plodding approach is why NASA’s new administrator Jared Isaacman overhauled the Artemis program in February.
—Marcia Dunn, Chicago Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for plod
Scott Pelley, CBS News, 26 Apr. 2026
The story was plodding, the characters frustrating, and the transitions through time poorly executed.
—Literary Hub, 23 Apr. 2026
Previous to that, markets had expected multiple cuts this year in an effort to shore up the plodding labor market.
—Jeff Cox, CNBC, 8 Apr. 2026
This plodding approach is why NASA’s new administrator Jared Isaacman overhauled the Artemis program in February.
—Marcia Dunn, Chicago Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for plod
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plod
Verb
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Caitlin Clark orchestrates offense Clark struggled to find her shooting touch Tuesday, missing 10 of 15 field goal attempts and seven of eight 3-pointers.—
James Boyd,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
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Let’s see who thrives and who struggles now that these two have become ones.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
17 June 2026
Verb
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The Grimm Brothers fairy tale follows a pair of famished siblings who get lost in the woods and entrapped by a child-eating witch, after stumbling upon her cottage made of candy.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
13 June 2026
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The memorial effort dragged for years as the private onePulse Foundation, originally tasked to create it, stumbled and then collapsed amid excessive ambition that produced a plan for a $100 million memorial and museum the group had no ability to fund.—
Silas Morgan,
The Orlando Sentinel,
12 June 2026
Verb
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Expectations of higher oil prices as the war drags on have kept long-term bond yields elevated, causing mortgage rates to mostly trend higher.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 June 2026
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Across a 90-foot wall at the Orlando Museum of Art, Tommerup assembled three monumental pyramids built from canvases dragged through the ocean and Biscayne Bay, dried in flowering trees and tossed from rooftops at dusk, surrendering part of the creative process to nature itself.—
Michelle F. Solomon,
Miami Herald,
11 June 2026
Verb
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After starting at right tackle, Lomu flipped to the left side as Will Campbell’s top backup when the Patriots shuffled their O-line personnel with Maye still on the field.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
10 June 2026
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The state's unique open primary — in which the top two contenders advance to the general election regardless of their party affiliation — was plagued by Democratic in-fighting and scandal that repeatedly shuffled the frontrunners.—
Kyler Alvord,
PEOPLE,
10 June 2026
Verb
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There are luxury resorts that strive to feel like homes, and then there are homes that accidentally become luxury resorts.—
Arion McNicoll,
TheWeek,
15 June 2026
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Impersonators try to embody the whole character, while tribute artists strive for other types of authenticity, like voice and dress.—
AJ Willingham,
AJC.com,
13 June 2026
Verb
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In the distance, a man and a woman trudge through the drifts toward the apartment courtyard.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
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But recently, for Giants fans and rising star Bryce Eldridge, the sight of Lee trudging back to the dugout unsuccessful has been a bit of an uncommon sight.—
Sean Campbell,
Sacbee.com,
10 June 2026
Verb
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Wrigley Field West, aka Coors Field, was crawling with Cubs fans on Tuesday night.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
11 June 2026
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He was arrested after a two-day manhunt, crawling in a field in a rural part of the state.—
Chloe Atkins,
NBC news,
11 June 2026
Verb
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On Monday night, a 39-year-old man wearing a Spurs jersey was stomped and punched after Game 3 while walking down West 47th Street, about 15 blocks from the arena.—
Alaa Elassar,
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
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Suddenly, the trees part and a Tyrannosaurus rex stomps into view.—
RJ Mackenzie,
Popular Science,
11 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Plod.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plod. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
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