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
Dark Souls’ plodding sword-and-board combat disappeared in favor of a lightning fast rhythm of slashes, bullets, and dodges.
—
Luke Winkie, Vulture, 1 Apr. 2025
This track is a standout on what is generally another great album from him, with features from the legend Olamide and rising voice Qing Madi, among others, and this one layers a classic Afrobeats drum pattern with a plodding groove, letting his voice lead the charge.
—Heran Mamo, Billboard, 31 Mar. 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
At the start of this stylish but plodding film, which premiered at SXSW ahead of its March 27 release on Prime Video, the suburban mother loses a pearl earring.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for plod
Luke Winkie, Vulture, 1 Apr. 2025
This track is a standout on what is generally another great album from him, with features from the legend Olamide and rising voice Qing Madi, among others, and this one layers a classic Afrobeats drum pattern with a plodding groove, letting his voice lead the charge.
—Heran Mamo, Billboard, 31 Mar. 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
At the start of this stylish but plodding film, which premiered at SXSW ahead of its March 27 release on Prime Video, the suburban mother loses a pearl earring.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for plod
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plod
Verb
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Both ended up struggling to hold their country together, let alone effect the changes that their activist supporters had hoped to see.—
E. Tammy Kim,
New Yorker,
4 June 2025
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Increasingly, experts warn more consumers are experiencing financial fragility, struggling to manage their money and their debt.—
Susan Tompor,
USA Today,
4 June 2025
Verb
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On a remote island in northern Norway, metal detectorists stumbled upon a pair of bronze treasures.—
Aspen Pflughoeft,
Miami Herald,
4 June 2025
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While sorting through storage in their Rhode Island studio to prep those reissues, Ivy stumbled upon a treasure trove of reel-to-reel tapes and old hard drives with unused material.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
4 June 2025
Verb
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Over the Great Plains, the high-level flow of winds has been pushing the smoke south, and shifting upper-level winds from the west will drag the smoke over the eastern states, according to The Weather Channel.—
Janet Loehrke,
USA Today,
5 June 2025
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The phone call between Trump and Putin came as the war, which has dragged on for nearly 3.5 years, shows no signs of abating despite mounting pressure for a diplomatic breakthrough.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
4 June 2025
Verb
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The Discovery+ streaming service will be shuffled into the Global Networks company.—
Stephen Battaglio,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2025
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Boys as young as 10 are shuffling around, carrying trays of flour, starch and pistachios — undistracted by this reporting team's presence.—
Fatma Tanis,
NPR,
7 June 2025
Verb
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This leads them to strive to inspire others, creating a virtuous cycle that perpetually increases engagement, a sense of purpose, and more.—
Matthew Kayser,
USA Today,
3 June 2025
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The album’s 11 tracks don’t strive to be confessional, just open.—
Janine Schaults,
Chicago Tribune,
3 June 2025
Verb
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For decades, organizations in healthcare, finance, logistics, and manufacturing have trudged through oceans of paperwork.—
Rhett Power,
Forbes.com,
8 June 2025
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As the afternoon wore on and the temperature climbed to 91 degrees, crowds trudged through the heat, some seeking refuge beneath the oversized Angels helmets at the stadium entrance, all for a chance to meet their favorite Banana Ballers.—
Anthony De Leon,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2025
Verb
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The men allegedly crawled out of the hole to a loading dock, scaled an exterior concrete wall of the jail complex and darted across a freeway to freedom.—
Kati Weis,
CBS News,
29 May 2025
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The Zenbook crawled to the finish line in every test.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
29 May 2025
Verb
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In a world where we’re constantly reminded that physical media is dead — that the future is just algorithms stomping our faces, forever — the fact that the Criterion Closet has gone viral suggests that all is not lost.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
29 May 2025
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No one could agree on whether the brawl of as many as nine young men was limited to fists or if its participants were also kicking and stomping.—
Emerson Clarridge,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
23 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Plod.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plod. Accessed 14 Jun. 2025.
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