as in filling
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1
as in packing
to close up so that no empty spaces remain
plugged the hole in the wall with putty
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in laboring
to devote serious and sustained effort
plugged away at solving the math problem
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in promoting
to provide publicity for
the actress is giving lots of interviews to plug her latest movie
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4
as in shooting
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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of plugging
Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 30 Mar. 2026
To address the issue, the Center for Biological Diversity is pushing for faster plugging of idle wells, prioritizing the effort near sensitive locations and making oil and gas companies pay for it.
—Jemma Stephenson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Feb. 2026
Continue reading … RATTLED HOST — CNN's Jake Tapper 'very unhappy' after network tightens book plugging.
—FOXNews.com, 19 Feb. 2026
In addition, most of the money dedicated to well plugging is expended through contractors.
—Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026
Oil companies are required to set aside funds, called bonds, that the state can call on to pay for well plugging and environmental cleanup.
—Mark Olalde, ProPublica, 22 Jan. 2026
These items often need daily recharging, necessitating regular plugging and unplugging.
—Timothy Dale, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Dec. 2025
Such plugging used to come in the form of critical scores.
—Senior Wine Critic, San Francisco Chronicle, 2 May 2016
Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 5 May 2026
The Hawks should have more chemistry now that most of them have a full NHL season under their belts, and plugging Stenberg into that would fit like a puzzle piece.
—Kalen Lumpkins, Chicago Tribune, 4 May 2026
Even still, all of that combined is plugging the supply gap by only about 8 million barrels a day, according to Natasha Kaneva, head of global commodities strategy at JPMorgan.
—David Goldman, CNN Money, 1 May 2026
The Afghan Whigs never had a consecutive run since forming in Cincinnati in 1986, taking a 13-year hiatus after plugging into six albums, then regrouping again in 2011, and staying put ever since.
—Tina Eves, SPIN, 23 Apr. 2026
The deal is Ascentium’s most recent in more than a dozen acquisitions, plugging a gap in the company’s mainland China coverage while deepening its footprint in hot Southeast Asian growth markets.
—Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 21 Apr. 2026
In many ways, plugging into the literary community and falling in love with reading again have healed that sense of loss.
—Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2026
Many wells remain the responsibility of active oil and gas field operators and are subject to idle well management plans, bonding requirements and escalating plugging obligations under recent legislation.
—Tim Rathmann, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Apr. 2026
No one in my generation remembers the huge labor force of switchboard operators, but in the 1950s there were 340,000 workers physically plugging cords into jacks to connect callers to one another (roughly equivalent to the number of dental assistants today).
—Rachyl Jones, semafor.com, 11 Mar. 2026
Noun
The framework also showed high precision in tasks like charger plugging, where millimeter-level accuracy is critical.
—Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 30 Mar. 2026
To address the issue, the Center for Biological Diversity is pushing for faster plugging of idle wells, prioritizing the effort near sensitive locations and making oil and gas companies pay for it.
—Jemma Stephenson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Feb. 2026
Continue reading … RATTLED HOST — CNN's Jake Tapper 'very unhappy' after network tightens book plugging.
—FOXNews.com, 19 Feb. 2026
In addition, most of the money dedicated to well plugging is expended through contractors.
—Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026
Oil companies are required to set aside funds, called bonds, that the state can call on to pay for well plugging and environmental cleanup.
—Mark Olalde, ProPublica, 22 Jan. 2026
These items often need daily recharging, necessitating regular plugging and unplugging.
—Timothy Dale, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Dec. 2025
Such plugging used to come in the form of critical scores.
—Senior Wine Critic, San Francisco Chronicle, 2 May 2016
Verb
The bee should be eliminated first before plugging the hole.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 5 May 2026
The Hawks should have more chemistry now that most of them have a full NHL season under their belts, and plugging Stenberg into that would fit like a puzzle piece.
—Kalen Lumpkins, Chicago Tribune, 4 May 2026
Even still, all of that combined is plugging the supply gap by only about 8 million barrels a day, according to Natasha Kaneva, head of global commodities strategy at JPMorgan.
—David Goldman, CNN Money, 1 May 2026
The Afghan Whigs never had a consecutive run since forming in Cincinnati in 1986, taking a 13-year hiatus after plugging into six albums, then regrouping again in 2011, and staying put ever since.
—Tina Eves, SPIN, 23 Apr. 2026
The deal is Ascentium’s most recent in more than a dozen acquisitions, plugging a gap in the company’s mainland China coverage while deepening its footprint in hot Southeast Asian growth markets.
—Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 21 Apr. 2026
In many ways, plugging into the literary community and falling in love with reading again have healed that sense of loss.
—Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2026
Many wells remain the responsibility of active oil and gas field operators and are subject to idle well management plans, bonding requirements and escalating plugging obligations under recent legislation.
—Tim Rathmann, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Apr. 2026
No one in my generation remembers the huge labor force of switchboard operators, but in the 1950s there were 340,000 workers physically plugging cords into jacks to connect callers to one another (roughly equivalent to the number of dental assistants today).
—Rachyl Jones, semafor.com, 11 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plugging
Noun
-
Protein can help make breakfast more filling and satisfying, but high-protein foods can get expensive.—
Lindsey DeSoto,
Health,
6 May 2026
-
Pour in the vinegar pie filling and bake as usual.—
Carole Kotkin,
Miami Herald,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
Even fifty years later, my mom has iconic looks and lots of opinions, especially when packing for a vacation.—
Amanda Eyre Ward,
Travel + Leisure,
2 May 2026
-
Bradford advises packing one blanket per family member, along with a couple of extras.—
Louise Parks,
Martha Stewart,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
For the rest of us, the construction kickoff means delay upon delay as streets, avenues and roads are awash with heavy equipment and construction workers laboring with jackhammers, picks and shovels.—
Charles Selle,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Trump poses as a pro-worker force, but his policies are atrocious for the laboring class.—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In Church’s day, that separation depended on promoting a robust idea of American innocence over Europe’s enfeebling corruption.—
Sebastian Smee,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
There is a broader issue of manufacturers selling dangerous products and promoting them with deceptive advertising to lure youth into using their dangerous, ineffective products.—
Jad Abdel Nour,
Hartford Courant,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
Also, the Spurs are due for shooting regression from deep, whereas the Blazers have gotten unlucky from 3-point range.—
Geoff Clark OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Cade Cunningham is shooting under 43% from the field and has a whopping 27 turnovers through four games.—
Tim Rohan,
NBC news,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Mikel Arteta has a reputation for seeking control but in the closing stages, that was discarded in the simmering emotion of it all.—
Amy Lawrence,
New York Times,
6 May 2026
-
The war and the closing of the Strait of Hormuz have disrupted supply chains and fractured oil availability globally.—
Carole Carlson,
Chicago Tribune,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
When Wagner was healthy in the first four games, Cunningham was still getting his points, but getting them inefficiently, struggling to find rhythm against Wagner’s length and discipline.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
4 May 2026
-
After struggling in his first game back — which Boston won by 32 points to take a 3-1 series lead — the 2023 NBA MVP was a defining figure in Games 5, 6 and 7.—
Zack Cox,
Hartford Courant,
3 May 2026
Verb
-
Barack and Michelle have since published several more best-selling titles.—
Peter Slevin,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust's portfolio.—
Kevin Stankiewicz,
CNBC,
3 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Plugging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plugging. Accessed 9 May. 2026.
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