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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 May 2026
Changes in estrogen and androgen levels can increase keratin production, promoting follicular plugging, while also affecting oil and sweat gland activity.
—Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 11 May 2026
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
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
Sam Khan Jr, New York Times, 2 June 2026
French maintained a tight lead against incumbent Jim Wright, a fifth-generation rancher running for his second term whose primary campaign priorities included reducing red tape for new oil production, plugging orphan wells, and defending landowner rights.
—Emily Holshouser
may 27, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 May 2026
Wacha kept plugging along, however.
—Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 25 May 2026
The setup is as simple as plugging it in — there’s no warm-up time, and cleanup is just as easy thanks to the removable tray and included cleaning brush.
—Jeaneen Russell, PEOPLE, 20 May 2026
These are great for charging electric toothbrushes, plugging your phone in at night and powering hair dryers.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 20 May 2026
At the outset of the crisis, the family had pinned most of their hopes on the Oklahoma Corporation Commission, the regulatory agency responsible for overseeing oil and gas — including pollution from the industry and plugging old wells.
—Nick Bowlin, ProPublica, 18 May 2026
However, as experts tell us, there's a bit more to it than just grabbing the nearest cord and plugging it in.
—Louise Parks, Martha Stewart, 18 May 2026
Leslie Jones, plugging her new HGTV series Roast My Rental, rattled off the names of a few of the two dozen cable networks on the roster (which ballooned after the 2022 merger of WarnerMedia and Discovery).
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 14 May 2026
Noun
In addition, most of the money dedicated to well plugging is expended through contractors.
—Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 May 2026
Changes in estrogen and androgen levels can increase keratin production, promoting follicular plugging, while also affecting oil and sweat gland activity.
—Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 11 May 2026
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
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
Tight end Walker Lyons, a transfer from USC, is an intriguing addition, and the Cougars did a good job of plugging holes on the O-line.
—Sam Khan Jr, New York Times, 2 June 2026
French maintained a tight lead against incumbent Jim Wright, a fifth-generation rancher running for his second term whose primary campaign priorities included reducing red tape for new oil production, plugging orphan wells, and defending landowner rights.
—Emily Holshouser
may 27, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 May 2026
Wacha kept plugging along, however.
—Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 25 May 2026
The setup is as simple as plugging it in — there’s no warm-up time, and cleanup is just as easy thanks to the removable tray and included cleaning brush.
—Jeaneen Russell, PEOPLE, 20 May 2026
These are great for charging electric toothbrushes, plugging your phone in at night and powering hair dryers.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 20 May 2026
At the outset of the crisis, the family had pinned most of their hopes on the Oklahoma Corporation Commission, the regulatory agency responsible for overseeing oil and gas — including pollution from the industry and plugging old wells.
—Nick Bowlin, ProPublica, 18 May 2026
However, as experts tell us, there's a bit more to it than just grabbing the nearest cord and plugging it in.
—Louise Parks, Martha Stewart, 18 May 2026
Leslie Jones, plugging her new HGTV series Roast My Rental, rattled off the names of a few of the two dozen cable networks on the roster (which ballooned after the 2022 merger of WarnerMedia and Discovery).
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 14 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plugging
Noun
-
The drive-in-turned-diner has been serving up hearty comfort food to Charlotteans looking for a filling meal since 1957, working its way into a firm hold among Charlotte’s oldest restaurants.—
Heidi Finley,
Charlotte Observer,
3 June 2026
-
Bad mini cones are made with soggy cones and sweet, fluffy filling that has none of the unctuousness of real ice cream.—
Jolene Thym,
Mercury News,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
The historic estate is a rare survivor from Loomis’ early ties to fruit orchards and packing after first being settled by gold miners.—
David Caraccio,
Sacbee.com,
30 May 2026
-
For decades, the industry boosted performance by making transistors smaller and packing more of them onto a chip.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
30 May 2026
Verb
-
With evacuation shelters reaching capacity as more than 40,000 people were asked to leave their homes, officials laboring to prevent an explosion at a crippled chemical tank in Garden Grove reported tentative progress Sunday in ending the crisis.—
Deborah Netburn,
Los Angeles Times,
24 May 2026
-
Makar has played in every game this postseason, but was clearly laboring in Game 5 against the Minnesota Wild.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
20 May 2026
Verb
-
Three researchers, two of whom have since gone on to bigger and better successes, Vinay Prasad and Tracey Beth Hoeg, explained in detail how committed the CDC was to promoting masks.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
1 June 2026
-
That includes signs and, yes, hats, t-shirts, buttons, stickers or other clothing promoting a particular candidate or initiative.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
According to Marcia, George was convinced he’d be laughed out of Hollywood because in the original script characters were running around and shooting at one another and nobody was getting hurt.—
Emily St. Martin,
Los Angeles Times,
2 June 2026
-
Soaring through skies, dodging obstacles, and shooting tiny robots and giant bosses felt great to begin with, and none of it needs to change significantly.—
Will Greenwald,
PC Magazine,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
During closing arguments before the jury Tuesday, Grossman’s attorney, Esther Holm, echoed that claim.—
Richard Winton,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
-
Keys is a quintessential New Yorker, so her documentary makes sense as the closing selection for Tribeca.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
After more than five innings of the Bulldogs trailing Liberty by one, struggling to get anything going, the Georgia third baseman crushed a two-run home run to left field.—
Sarah Spencer,
AJC.com,
1 June 2026
-
Hezbollah's use of hard-to-detect fiber optic drones has been deadly for the Israeli military, which is struggling to respond.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
31 May 2026
Verb
-
Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust’s portfolio.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
31 May 2026
-
After selling what is now known simply as KFC to a group of investors in 1964, Sanders remained the company's public face and spokesman and often voiced concerns about changes to the restaurant's food, according to food publication The Takeout.—
Kelly McGreal,
FOXNews.com,
31 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Plugging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plugging. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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