trudge

verb

ˈtrəj How to pronounce trudge (audio)
Definition of trudgenext
1
as in to shuffle
to move heavily or clumsily flooded residents who were forced to trudge through waist-deep water

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to stumble
to proceed or act clumsily or ineffectually no expert on taxes, I spent the whole weekend trudging through government forms

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of trudge Enola dutifully trudges between clues and possibilities, shuffling through crime scenes and racing around shady spaces, all of this much more paint-by-numbers than connect-the-dots. — Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 30 June 2026 Instead of getting the victory at the 2025 Travelers Championship, Fleetwood, after a messy three-putt bogey at the 72nd hole opened the door for a Keegan Bradley walk-off birdie, trudged away with his sixth runner-up finish. — Nick Pietruszkiewicz, Hartford Courant, 21 June 2026 In its first-ever World Cup appearance, the team — hailing from an archipelago off the western coast of Africa with around 530,000 inhabitants — has left its fans giddy with success and its opponents, from the traditional powers of Spain and Uruguay, trudging off the field in shock. — Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 24 June 2026 After a verbal altercation, Zidane headbutted Marco Materazzi, giving Argentine referee Horacio Elizondo no choice but to wave a red card at the Frenchman, who trudged off the pitch and past the World Cup trophy in the last act of his playing career. — George Edwards, New York Times, 21 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for trudge
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trudge
  1. shuffle
  2. stumble
  3. stomp
  4. struggle
Verb
  • The Chicago Cubs have been shuffling the lower levels of their organization ahead of the trade deadline, looking to recapture some strong momentum from the beginning of the season to help drive a playoff push in the second half.
    — Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
  • One Wednesday evening in May, at the boutique hotel Dream Hollywood — located just off the Walk of Fame — a young hotel staff member shuffled over to her co-worker to discuss a special guest on the top floor.
    — Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026
Definition of shuffle
Verb
  • After a chance meeting saving the life of a reporter, Dez stumbles across a vast conspiracy and now must stop the forces intent on keeping their secrets safe.
    — Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 6 July 2026
  • The hole was discovered in early April when a volunteer on a weekend cemetery clean-up day stumbled upon it.
    — Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 5 July 2026
Definition of stumble
Verb
  • The name Chelydra serpentina evokes colossal reptiles stomping through ancient forests.
    — Hannah Smith July 1, Idaho Statesman, 1 July 2026
  • If anything, the dichotomy between the pop star who prances around Versailles in a sheer nightie and the pop star who stomps onstage in knee-high combat boots feels completely authentic and intentional.
    — Chelsey Sanchez, CNN Money, 25 June 2026
Definition of stomp
Verb
  • Acuff got off to a much better start after struggling to make shots in his summer league debut on Saturday.
    — Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 7 July 2026
  • While San Francisco’s bullpen is struggling, Rogers is in the midst of another excellent season after signing a three-year, $37 million deal to join the defending American League champions.
    — Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 7 July 2026
Definition of struggle

Browse Nearby Words

truculent
trudge
trudged
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Trudge.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trudge. Accessed 9 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on trudge

Nglish: Translation of trudge for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of tacit

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All