1
as in shuffling
to move heavily or clumsily
flooded residents who were forced to trudge through waist-deep water
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stumbling
to proceed or act clumsily or ineffectually
no expert on taxes, I spent the whole weekend trudging through government forms
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of trudging
New York City kept schools open despite angry parents trudging through snow drifts, while Philadelphia and Long Island closed as crews battle conditions.
—
Jake Offenhartz, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2026
Before the fourth official even held his board up to signal Bailey’s substitution for Jadon Sancho in the 61st minute, the 28-year-old was already trudging off, carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
—Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2026
The bus drivers do nothing to enforce the rules, and we seniors are left trudging down the bus aisle while the people in the seats smirk, look at their phones and talk to each other.
—Judith Martin, Mercury News, 20 Jan. 2026
The rest of our fair crew is trudging along through broken wrists and CT scans.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 8 Jan. 2026
The hill sits off a dirt road and takes a bit of trudging up before the dimpled geodes start appearing in earnest.
—Npr Staff, NPR, 18 Dec. 2025
Meanwhile, Paramount has shown little inclination of quietly trudging off into the sunset, as was made clear by the complaints the company’s attorneys lodged yesterday.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 5 Dec. 2025
To get there, the Norwegian explorers navigated the interminable snowfields of interior Antarctica, trudging through the harshest climates on earth for 56 days.
—Brad Japhe, HollywoodReporter, 25 Oct. 2025
While the federal government shutdown has been trudging along, a cottage in the Grand Canyon Village has provided for those in need following weeks of no pay and a devastating wildfire.
—Jose R. Gonzalez, AZCentral.com, 24 Oct. 2025
Jake Offenhartz, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2026
Before the fourth official even held his board up to signal Bailey’s substitution for Jadon Sancho in the 61st minute, the 28-year-old was already trudging off, carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
—Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2026
The bus drivers do nothing to enforce the rules, and we seniors are left trudging down the bus aisle while the people in the seats smirk, look at their phones and talk to each other.
—Judith Martin, Mercury News, 20 Jan. 2026
The rest of our fair crew is trudging along through broken wrists and CT scans.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 8 Jan. 2026
The hill sits off a dirt road and takes a bit of trudging up before the dimpled geodes start appearing in earnest.
—Npr Staff, NPR, 18 Dec. 2025
Meanwhile, Paramount has shown little inclination of quietly trudging off into the sunset, as was made clear by the complaints the company’s attorneys lodged yesterday.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 5 Dec. 2025
To get there, the Norwegian explorers navigated the interminable snowfields of interior Antarctica, trudging through the harshest climates on earth for 56 days.
—Brad Japhe, HollywoodReporter, 25 Oct. 2025
While the federal government shutdown has been trudging along, a cottage in the Grand Canyon Village has provided for those in need following weeks of no pay and a devastating wildfire.
—Jose R. Gonzalez, AZCentral.com, 24 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trudging
Verb
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So what better way to cap all that off than closing out the Oscars — even if the clip played while the audience was shuffling out of the theater and calling their Ubers.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
16 Mar. 2026
-
At Chicago O’Hare International Airport, a CNN reporter saw chaotic scenes, with passengers shuffling from line to line.—
Amanda Musa,
CNN Money,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The bubble was the softest in recent memory, with one team after another stumbling late in the season.—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Mar. 2026
-
The club can continue stumbling through an awkward, uncertain moment.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Expect to see crunching tackles, stomping recovery runs and heroic blocks from a 22-year-old centre-back who will be a leader for his country at their first World Cup.—
The Athletic Staff,
New York Times,
3 Mar. 2026
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So, let’s circle back to the original question on stomping.—
Adam Cohen,
Oklahoman,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Governments across the continent are struggling with stubborn insurgencies.—
Obi Anyadike,
semafor.com,
23 Mar. 2026
-
Sunday was a busy day at Logan Airport as TSA agents continue to work without pay during the partial government shutdown, though waits remained lower than many struggling with long lines around the country.—
Paul Burton,
CBS News,
22 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Trudging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trudging. Accessed 23 Mar. 2026.
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