1
as in to struggle
to devote serious and sustained effort
plodded night and day to get the assignment done
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to stumble
to proceed or act clumsily or ineffectually
oxen plodding through deep mud
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
4
as in to shuffle
to move heavily or clumsily
wayfarers plodding across the sandy wastes
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of plod
No longer were Black Sabbath playing plodding, primitive heavy rockers; there was a new sophistication in the band’s music and Osbourne’s performances.
—
Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 22 July 2025
The drums punch and plod like textbook EDM; indistinguishable synths twinkle.
—Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 17 July 2025
Natasha Kermani’s adaptation plods and waits to strike too late in the game.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 10 July 2025
This is otherwise a plodding, disenchanting experience that adds some more roaring dinosaurs in exchange for any memorable characters or narrative stakes.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 4 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for plod
Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 22 July 2025
The drums punch and plod like textbook EDM; indistinguishable synths twinkle.
—Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 17 July 2025
Natasha Kermani’s adaptation plods and waits to strike too late in the game.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 10 July 2025
This is otherwise a plodding, disenchanting experience that adds some more roaring dinosaurs in exchange for any memorable characters or narrative stakes.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 4 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for plod
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plod
Verb
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After struggling in the first half, running back Jerrod Wiley got loose on an untouched 69-yard touchdown run on the first play of the next drive to put Heritage back up two scores at 30-21.—
Jordan Neal,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
6 Sep. 2025
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An ugly sweep at the hands of the Pittsburgh Pirates sunk their struggling offense to new depths and at least temporarily removed Will Smith from the equation.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Closer Bryan Abreu stumbled but has earned the benefit of the doubt with the dominance he’s displayed.—
Chandler Rome,
New York Times,
4 Sep. 2025
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Exposure to harmful content is another risk as studies show that teens are more likely than adults to stumble upon self-harm imagery or extremist propaganda.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The cousin tried to drag Guzman away, and saw the shooter walk back inside the house.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
4 Sep. 2025
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Mitchell was then dragged outside to the valet area, and a female Hyatt employee grabbed a broomstick and struck Mitchell with it.—
Chris Ramirez,
jsonline.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Young Hamnet’s shuffling off this mortal coil once laid the groundwork for a masterpiece.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Shelters that shuffle people in and out overnight don’t solve anything.—
Stephan Rabimov,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Now retired, Andra loved her job working for the federal government and strives to make a difference in the world around her.—
Liza Esquibias,
PEOPLE,
4 Sep. 2025
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Businesses are striving to do more with less, cutting entry-level roles and striving for AI automation to save on headcount costs.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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As boos rained down from the Philly crowd and Carter trudged to the locker-room, TV cameras showed Carter appearing to spit at Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott.—
Jacob Lev,
CNN Money,
5 Sep. 2025
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O’Farrell’s words skip lightly on some pages, then pace with anxiety, then finally trudge along despairingly.—
The Know,
Denver Post,
31 Aug. 2025
Verb
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On Wednesday, a similar scene closely followed as the funeral procession for Kansas City, Kansas, police officer Hunter Simoncic crawled along through the highways and streets in the community Simoncic worked to keep safe.—
Emily Curiel,
Kansas City Star,
3 Sep. 2025
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Eby crawled across a ladder over the water to the vehicle, then crawled back with the child on his back, the video shows.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Many in Hollywood were dubious as to whether Universal and Amblin could reboot the Jurassic franchise for a third time, and birth a new trilogy more than three decades after Steven Spielberg’s dinos first stomped onto the big screen in 1993’s Jurassic Park.—
Pamela McClintock,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Sep. 2025
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People expecting a state championship rematch between Benet and Marist in the Crimson Classic finals had those plans stomped upon Saturday when Lockport ended up surprising the Redwings 29-27, 18-25, 15-10 in the semifinals.—
Jeff Vorva,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Plod.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plod. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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