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
4
as in to shuffle
to move heavily or clumsily
wayfarers plodding across the sandy wastes
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of plod
Still, some 90 Guard members were among the forces seen plodding through the popular park where children with a day camp played.
—
Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC news, 12 Aug. 2025
In the east of Ukraine, Russian forces meanwhile continued to make plodding but significant advances, while the authorities in Kyiv grew more eager for a ceasefire, as did their constituents.
—Simon Shuster, Time, 8 Aug. 2025
No longer were Black Sabbath playing plodding, primitive heavy rockers; there was a new sophistication in the band’s music and Osbourne’s performances.
—Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 22 July 2025
Vince Vaughn, plodding and weary-eyed, plays Easy, a Vegas nightclub singer who’s just trying to do respectable work in whatever venue will have him.
—Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for plod
Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC news, 12 Aug. 2025
In the east of Ukraine, Russian forces meanwhile continued to make plodding but significant advances, while the authorities in Kyiv grew more eager for a ceasefire, as did their constituents.
—Simon Shuster, Time, 8 Aug. 2025
No longer were Black Sabbath playing plodding, primitive heavy rockers; there was a new sophistication in the band’s music and Osbourne’s performances.
—Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 22 July 2025
Vince Vaughn, plodding and weary-eyed, plays Easy, a Vegas nightclub singer who’s just trying to do respectable work in whatever venue will have him.
—Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for plod
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plod
Verb
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Traditional data lakes can store raw data at scale but lack quality controls, while warehouses enforce structure but struggle with unstructured or fast changing data.—
Matthew Kayser,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
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Almost half of those who abided by boundaries (45%) reported low burnout, compared to 6% of those who struggled to do so.—
Samantha Dewalt,
Fortune,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Without a strategic game plan, even the strongest efforts can stumble before crossing the finish line.—
Rohit Shrivastava,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
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TikToker Callie Rose Bedford, known as @calrose5, stumbled on the vase during a shopping trip and shared what happened next in a video that has more than 7 million views.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Any resulting court case within the Defense Department's own legal system could result in counter lawsuits, which could drag on for months.—
Anne Flaherty,
ABC News,
17 Sep. 2025
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Need to know Nvidia probe drags on.—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Gakpo is deeper, and Wirtz pushes forward as the central member of Liverpool’s forward line, while Ekitike shuffles across as the left of the trio.—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
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Declining enrollment means the district may need to shuffle schools, students, or teachers to ensure each school is well attended, and the student-teacher ratios are well-balanced.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Chronic striving has its downsides, though.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
11 Sep. 2025
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When multiple businesses strive to outdo each other, the result is better products, improved services and more choices for consumers.—
Levi King,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Even after trudging through three quarters offensively, the Chiefs found themselves down 13-10 to start the fourth quarter while driving deep into Eagles territory.—
Jesse Newell,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
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The sun keeps setting as small caravans trudge through high grasses, over rocky ripple, and finally, into the marsh.—
Sophie Hartley,
IndyStar,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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And to get there, visitors will have to make their way through scare zones brimming with crawling monsters and roaring chainsaws.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Sep. 2025
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Insects crawled through clinical areas, and staff food was stored alongside medical supplies.—
Walter Pavlo,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Most tourists don't come to Abu Dhabi to put on a thick coat and stomp around a snowy landscape but theme park fans are the exception.—
Caroline Reid,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
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That certainly looked to be the case as the Indianapolis Colts stomped the Miami Dolphins 33-8 in the regular-season opener.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
7 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Plod.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plod. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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