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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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
Rachyl Jones, semafor.com, 11 Mar. 2026
The latter two moves shore up the bottom of the roster, plugging the last remaining holes this team has, while the Kadri add is arguably the biggest needle-moving acquisition of the deadline.
—Dom Luszczyszyn, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2026
Anthropic’s Claude Cowork has quickly taken off in the enterprise by plugging into more applications.
—Katie Tarasov,ari Levy, CNBC, 26 Feb. 2026
Wright’s priorities include cutting regulatory red tape so permits can be issued quicker, plugging orphan wells and building out the state’s energy infrastructure.
—Aarón Torres, Dallas Morning News, 23 Feb. 2026
But if a well is deserted or an operator insolvent, the state can be responsible for plugging it.
—Jemma Stephenson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Feb. 2026
Sadly, then, the state seems more interested in plugging a budget hole than meeting its climate goals.
—The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 16 Feb. 2026
Additionally, the definition of a producing well needs to be clarified to hold companies accountable for plugging wells sooner.
—Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026
Some folks left plugging their ears, but enough stayed to crowd the stage.
—Stephen M. Deusner, Pitchfork, 8 Feb. 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
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
The latter two moves shore up the bottom of the roster, plugging the last remaining holes this team has, while the Kadri add is arguably the biggest needle-moving acquisition of the deadline.
—Dom Luszczyszyn, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2026
Anthropic’s Claude Cowork has quickly taken off in the enterprise by plugging into more applications.
—Katie Tarasov,ari Levy, CNBC, 26 Feb. 2026
Wright’s priorities include cutting regulatory red tape so permits can be issued quicker, plugging orphan wells and building out the state’s energy infrastructure.
—Aarón Torres, Dallas Morning News, 23 Feb. 2026
But if a well is deserted or an operator insolvent, the state can be responsible for plugging it.
—Jemma Stephenson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Feb. 2026
Sadly, then, the state seems more interested in plugging a budget hole than meeting its climate goals.
—The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 16 Feb. 2026
Additionally, the definition of a producing well needs to be clarified to hold companies accountable for plugging wells sooner.
—Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026
Some folks left plugging their ears, but enough stayed to crowd the stage.
—Stephen M. Deusner, Pitchfork, 8 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plugging
Noun
-
One enchilada platter has roasted sweet potato and a cashew crema filling ($18).—
Miguel Otárola,
Denver Post,
8 Apr. 2026
-
It’s then sliced open and filled with the traditional fillings.—
Anais Martinez,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
For travel days, pair your airport-ready sweatsuits with the Everyday Trainer Sneakers, or toss the Scrunched Sneakers that feature a flexible silhouette into your suitcase to make packing a breeze.—
Julia Morlino,
Travel + Leisure,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Amazon's fulfillment services include the process of storing, packing and shipping orders.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Smith allowed one hit in the laboring 99-pitch outing.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Alongside the currently missing McDaniels and Edwards, Naz Reid is clearly laboring.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
PowerSchool had become so influential that in 2023, its CEO was invited to speak at the White House during an event promoting cybersecurity in education.—
Mike Levine,
ABC News,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Ahead of its world premiere, Streep and Hathaway have been on an international tour promoting The Devil Wears Prada 2.—
Armando Tinoco,
Deadline,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Adebayo finished Tuesday’s loss with just seven points on 2-of-13 shooting from the field, 1-of-7 shooting on threes and 2-of-2 shooting from the foul line, nine rebounds and three assists in 36 minutes.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
8 Apr. 2026
-
He is accused of shooting Afghan man Dad Mohammad three times in the head in an Uruzgan province wheat field in 2012.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But the closing speed issue raised its head dramatically at Suzuka.—
Luke Smith,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2026
-
During closing arguments, the doctor’s lawyer repeatedly sought to cast doubt on Arielle Konig’s account.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Dave Walton, a corn, soybean, and hay farmer in Iowa and vice president of the American Soybean Association, said in March that some of his neighbors didn’t have cash on hand last fall to buy fertilizer and were struggling to budget for fertilizer due to high prices.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
13 Apr. 2026
-
But even a young woman struggling with the patriarchal conundrum of cool-girl syndrome (to be independent and accepted) might reveal more of a snappish turn of mind than Grace does.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
And Iran was profiting handsomely off its sales, selling its oil for a premium of several dollars above the price of Brent crude, the international benchmark.—
David Goldman,
CNN Money,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Emmline Toussaint, main coordinator of Mary’s Meals’ BND school-feeding program in Haiti, said that gas stations in some regions are selling fuel 25% to 30% higher than even what the government stipulated because of gang violence and difficulties with trucks trying to access certain areas.—
Evens Sanon,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Plugging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plugging. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026.
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