Synonyms of plug

plug 1 of 4

verb (1)

1

as in to fill

to close up so that no empty spaces remain

plugged the hole in the wall with putty

Synonyms & Similar Words

• fill
• pack
• seal
• bung
• block
• stuff
• dam
• stop
• occlude
• close (off)
• choke
• clog
• jam
• obstruct
• caulk
• congest
• clot
• chink
• repack
• restuff

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• shovel
• hollow (out)
• excavate
• scoop (out)

2

as in to struggle

to devote serious and sustained effort

plugged away at solving the math problem

Synonyms & Similar Words

• struggle
• labor
• work
• strive
• try
• tug
• plow
• endeavor
• slave
• sweat
• dig (away)
• hustle
• beaver (away)
• toil
• bang away
• strain
• hump
• apply (oneself)
• grub
• fag
• sweat blood
• plod
• travail
• drudge
• drive
• peg (away)
• buckle (down)
• pitch in
• slog
• scratch
• moil
• hammer (away)
• exert
• attack
• essay
• grind (out)
• dig in
• eke out
• exercise
• wade
• knuckle down
• put out
• overwork
• trudge
• overexert
• scrabble

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• break
• ease (up)
• slacken
• lounge
• bum
• let up
• hang (around or out)
• idle
• chill
• rest
• loaf
• play
• relax
• goof (off)
• slack (off)
• hack (around)
• shirk
• unwind
• laze
• bask
• hang
• repose
• veg out
• loll
• dabble
• goldbrick
• footle
• doodle
• fool around
• dally
• trifle
• hang about
• goof (around)
• dillydally
• mess around
• putter (around)
• monkey (around)
• potter (around)
• fribble

3

as in to promote

to provide publicity for

the actress is giving lots of interviews to plug her latest movie

Synonyms & Similar Words

• promote
• sell
• announce
• publicize
• advertise
• push
• talk up
• beat the drum (for)
• boost
• tout
• pitch
• merchandise
• hype
• ballyhoo
• publish
• bark
• review
• praise
• indorse
• endorse
• hail
• recommend
• broadcast
• merchandize
• laud
• plump (for)
• acclaim
• plunk (for)
• plonk (for)

4

as in to shoot

to strike with a missile from a gun

the drug lord plugged the stool pigeon as a lesson for any others who were tempted to talk

Synonyms & Similar Words

• shoot
• drill
• pop
• gun
• drop
• kill
• destroy
• slay
• slaughter
• bring down
• blow away
• fire (at)
• blast (at)
• shoot down
• pick off
• pepper
• fell
• butcher
• wipe out
• blaze
• snipe (at)
• blot out
• dispatch
• machine-gun
• shotgun
• potshot
• ice
• pistol
• massacre
• annihilate
• decimate
• croak
• do in
• tommy-gun

plug

2 of 4

noun (1)

1

as in ad

Synonyms & Similar Words

• ad
• promotion
• message
• spot
• advertisement
• sign
• commercial
• publicity
• word
• bill
• advertising
• placard
• marketing
• poster
• billboard
• banner
• propaganda
• ballyhoo
• release
• puffery
• hype
• publication
• report
• pronouncement
• dispatch
• broadcast
• bulletin
• ink
• testimonial
• story
• newscast
• write-up

2

as in cob

Synonyms & Similar Words

• cob
• skate
• nag
• equine
• steed
• dobbin
• pony
• jade
• mount
• stallion
• mare
• foal
• colt
• gelding
• charger
• filly
• equid
• bay
• black
• bronco
• quarter horse
• chestnut
• mustang
• hack
• trotter
• saddle horse
• racehorse
• warhorse
• packhorse
• cow pony
• cutting horse
• dun
• roan
• pinto
• sorrel
• workhorse
• palomino
• hackney
• prancer
• buckskin
• skewbald
• courser
• galloper

3

as in hook

Synonyms & Similar Words

• hook
• pull
• spinner
• scent
• snare
• stool pigeon
• incentive
• troll
• draw
• appeal
• attraction
• net
• trap
• call
• ambush
• bait
• seduction
• temptation
• enticement
• lure
• decoy
• seducement
• entanglement
• entrapment

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• repellent
• repellant

plug (up)

3 of 4

verb (2)

as in to stop (up)

to prevent passage through by filling with something

hair plugged up the drain

Synonyms & Similar Words

• stop (up)
• block
• obstruct
• gum (up)
• jam
• fill
• choke
• stuff
• occlude
• congest
• dam
• clog
• flood
• clot
• pack
• cork
• stopple
• overwhelm
• fur
• stopper
• gridlock
• silt
• bung
• spile
• inundate
• swamp
• glut

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• open (up)
• free
• clear
• hollow (out)
• unplug
• scoop (out)
• excavate
• unblock
• unclog
• unstop
• empty
• lighten

plugger

4 of 4

noun (2)

as in laborer

a person who does very hard or dull work

the quiet pluggers are the ones who really keep this company going

Synonyms & Similar Words

• laborer
• worker
• slave
• toiler
• peon
• slogger
• grubber
• foot soldier
• dogsbody
• grunt
• grub
• drudge
• drone
• drudger
• workhorse
• serf

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• shirker
• slug
• idler
• loafer
• slouch
• goldbrick
• sluggard
• lazybones

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of plug

Verb

To plug the hole, someone will have to come up with a pile of cash. —Dan Alexander, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025

County health officials spent hours plugging the numbers into a publicly available Environmental Protection Agency tool that helps evaluate safe environmental exposure levels to various substances. —Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 16 May 2025

Noun

Christie, who pulled the plug on the project after $1.2 billion had already been spent on engineering and diverted $3 billion in toll money earmarked for the tunnel to bail out his state's finances and avoid raising gas taxes, has steadfastly defended that decision. —Emilie Ikeda, NBC news, 17 May 2025

Another 737 Max crash the following year and a door plug blowout aboard an Alaska Airlines (ALK) flight in 2024 created a rough few years for the company. —Kevin Ryan, Quartz, 14 May 2025

Phrases Containing plug

• plug (up)