1
as in to struggle
to devote serious and sustained effort
plodded night and day to get the assignment done
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2
as in to stumble
to proceed or act clumsily or ineffectually
oxen plodding through deep mud
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
4
as in to shuffle
to move heavily or clumsily
wayfarers plodding across the sandy wastes
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of plod
This plodding approach is why NASA’s new administrator, Jared Isaacman, overhauled the Artemis program in February.
—
Marcia Dunn, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2026
This plodding approach is why NASA’s new administrator Jared Isaacman overhauled the Artemis program in February.
—Marcia Dunn, Chicago Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026
The production of interceptors has been plodding.
—Missy Ryan, The Atlantic, 3 Mar. 2026
In less capable hands, these pieces could plod aimlessly and fade away, but Lawson knows how to wring complexity from a minimal set of elements.
—Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 24 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for plod
Marcia Dunn, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2026
This plodding approach is why NASA’s new administrator Jared Isaacman overhauled the Artemis program in February.
—Marcia Dunn, Chicago Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026
The production of interceptors has been plodding.
—Missy Ryan, The Atlantic, 3 Mar. 2026
In less capable hands, these pieces could plod aimlessly and fade away, but Lawson knows how to wring complexity from a minimal set of elements.
—Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 24 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for plod
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plod
Verb
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The contestants struggled mighty hard with the songs.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
28 Apr. 2026
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Pornographic deepfake images of her have circulated online, making the singer the most famous victim of a scourge that tech platforms and antiabuse groups have struggled to fix.—
Maria Sherman,
Fortune,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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As Laugier’s story continues, the man wanders through a forest, stumbles upon fallen branches, and has an epiphany.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 May 2026
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Mazzulla, who’s trumpeted the Celtics depth at every turn this season, shouldn’t hesitate to use it if his starters stumble on Saturday.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
The Carboniferous period dragged on for sixty million.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
8 May 2026
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Perhaps the aether did exist, but it could never be construed as being in motion by an observer on the Earth, because the aether itself was being dragged by objects traveling through space, such as the Earth, explaining why a null result was obtained.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
7 May 2026
Verb
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MotoGP also had to shuffle its schedule due to the conflict in the Middle East, postponing the Qatar Grand Prix to November.—
Justin Birnbaum,
Sportico.com,
7 May 2026
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But sometimes, simply shuffling the pieces can help, in our view.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
7 May 2026
Verb
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Newer companies, such as Firefly Aerospace, Stoke Space and Relativity Space, are also striving to rise to the competition.—
Ramin Skibba,
Scientific American,
4 May 2026
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As Miranda faces public outcry and the pressures of a downturning publishing industry, Andy once again strives for her approval amid her steadfast pursuit of rigorous journalism.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
2 May 2026
Verb
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When the game ended, following Mosley’s postgame comments to the team, Suggs trudged in his flip-flops to the team’s therapy areas.—
Josh Robbins,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
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Messi trudged off the field quickly and headed straight to the locker room, in no mood for post-game salutations.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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After losing her friend Yo, Anna spends a decade obsessively building a detailed one-third-scale replica of her house — just large enough to crawl inside — where a puppet version of Yo still lives.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
6 May 2026
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Ahmed Moustafa, who operates a halal cart near Yankee Stadium, is still crawling out from the pandemic.—
Yuna Kim,
New York Daily News,
6 May 2026
Verb
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This is a fantastic shoe to stomp around town in, thanks to its thick rubber lug sole.—
Caroline Hughes,
Travel + Leisure,
30 Apr. 2026
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From February through May, the males of this colorful bird species do a quick-stomping dance and make a low booming sound to attract a mate.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Plod.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plod. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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