1
as in to struggle
to devote serious and sustained effort
plodded night and day to get the assignment done
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
On the left, to the east, four thousand mercenaries plodded through the underbrush.
—
/ Cbs News, CBS News, 13 June 2025
But as the nineteenth century plodded onward, abolitionists had developed increasingly persuasive arguments for emancipation, provoking slaveowners to answer with a vicious theory of Black inferiority to defend bondage.
—Literary Hub, 5 June 2025
The third set plodded on with consistent serving until Popyrin found himself 15-40 at 4-5.
—Tim Ellis, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025
Throughout the month of May, Beijing and Washington made plodding progress toward a trade deal, both agreeing to lower and suspend duties on each other for a period of 90 days on May 12.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 16 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for plod
/ Cbs News, CBS News, 13 June 2025
But as the nineteenth century plodded onward, abolitionists had developed increasingly persuasive arguments for emancipation, provoking slaveowners to answer with a vicious theory of Black inferiority to defend bondage.
—Literary Hub, 5 June 2025
The third set plodded on with consistent serving until Popyrin found himself 15-40 at 4-5.
—Tim Ellis, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025
Throughout the month of May, Beijing and Washington made plodding progress toward a trade deal, both agreeing to lower and suspend duties on each other for a period of 90 days on May 12.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 16 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for plod
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plod
Verb
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The party of the president usually struggles in a midterm election like next year's race to replace Peters.—
M.L. Elrick,
Freep.com,
23 July 2025
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But AmeriCorps officials have struggled in recent years to provide financial information to auditors and have acknowledged the need for reforms.—
Dan Horn,
The Enquirer,
23 July 2025
Verb
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Symptoms include shivering, memory loss, stumbling, confusion and sleepiness.—
Jalen Williams,
Freep.com,
23 July 2025
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Nonetheless, everything in Yountville is a short stroll, or stumble, from Jessup.—
Lela London,
Forbes.com,
22 July 2025
Verb
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Pitmaster Roy Perez ceremoniously dragged a metal tub of hot coals up Commerce Street to transfer the fire from the old pits to the new ones.—
Robert F. Moss,
Southern Living,
23 July 2025
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Charlie's sudden, grotesque exit becomes the catalyst for the rest of the film, dragging her family down a relentless tailspin of grief (and ancestral demons).—
James Mercadante,
EW.com,
23 July 2025
Verb
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All week, campers were shuffled from one activity to the next, mixing games, prayers and church services with lectures that coincide with lessons from the Bible.—
Paul Bersebach,
Oc Register,
12 July 2025
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Guevara, 47, has been shuffled through three detention sites despite Immigration Judge James Ward’s decision to grant him bond on July 1, according to The Associated Press.—
Ashleigh Fields,
The Hill,
9 July 2025
Verb
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Even though her husband and her eldest son will one day be king, Princess Kate has strived to maintain a sense of normalcy at home.—
Meredith Kile,
People.com,
22 July 2025
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These dishes have to be perfect, even in their simplicity, and there’s something exciting about striving for that.—
David Hochman,
Forbes.com,
20 July 2025
Verb
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Rescue and recovery efforts trudged on for a fifth day after devastating flooding on July 4 in central Texas sent the water of the Guadalupe River surging into nearby campgrounds and low-lying homes and cars.—
Jaclyn Diaz,
NPR,
8 July 2025
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Amid the devastation, first responders and volunteers trudge into muck and mud, scramble over debris piles and check emotions to poke and prod and chop and saw in search of still-missing victims.—
Suzanne Gamboa,
NBC news,
7 July 2025
Verb
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Insects and other pests like rodents can easily crawl inside and make themselves at home.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
19 July 2025
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This remains a place where crabs crawl out of the water at sunset, stingrays swim around surfers in the Pacific, and languidly smiling sloths—the national mascot—remind us all to slow down.—
Laura Dannen Redman,
AFAR Media,
16 July 2025
Verb
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Denver posted a 16-4 mark through the spring of ’23, sweeping the Lakers, then stomping the Heat in The Finals to finally reach the NBA’s summit.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
13 July 2025
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Footage shared online shows the woman stomping her feet and kicking her legs from the ground.—
Colson Thayer,
People.com,
11 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Plod.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plod. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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