PLOD Synonyms: 159 Similar and Opposite Words

plod

verb

ˈpläd

Definition of plod

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

as in to stumble

to proceed or act clumsily or ineffectually oxen plodding through deep mud

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to drag

to move slowly plodded reluctantly off to work

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to shuffle

to move heavily or clumsily wayfarers plodding across the sandy wastes

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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 plod Events plod forward, one after the other, and although Michael Shaeffer is a thoroughly compelling presence as the cruel and chronically unstable monarch Aerys, other performances seem nuance-free. — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 10 Aug. 2026 That optionality may be more enticing for New York than just signing a plodding third center. — Tom Rende, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026 The answer is complex, highlighting the dramatic differences between the public perception of a case and the careful, plodding way that evidence must be presented in a courtroom, experts said. — Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 27 July 2026 The guards on the German side see no point in firing as, in the distance, the men plod through the snow to freedom. — Thomas Doherty, HollywoodReporter, 18 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for plod

Recent Examples of Synonyms for plod

Verb

Three days later, the team brought in Moody, the former Michigan standout who has also struggled at times in his young career.

— Jeff Zrebiec, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026
Restaurants and private grocery stores are struggling to stay open because of higher supply costs and lower consumption.

— Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of struggle

Verb

Most critics of judicial supremacy stumble over the fact that a strong Court sometimes benefits their side.

— Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
Analysis from Zeki Data shows that where OpenAI and Anthropic are making gains in the AI talent market, Google DeepMind (and to some extent Meta) are stumbling.

— Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of stumble

Verb

For nearly a year and a half, he was shuffled around detention centers in Texas, Arizona, Louisiana and Florida, until arriving in the Alexandria International Airport in mid-August.

— Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 2 Sep. 2026
The Yankees continued to shuffle their bullpen on Monday, claiming John Schreiber.

— Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of shuffle

Verb

OpenAI is striving to regain the initiative in the AI race against a backdrop of growing anxiety from experts, tech leaders, and the public over the risks of frontier AI.

— Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 3 Sep. 2026
Behind every bottle lies a world shaped by ritual and inheritance, and by those striving to preserve or transform it.

— Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of strive

Verb

Die-hards like my pals trudged on, buoyed by generational talent Mike Trout and the occasional flash-in-the-pan prospect.

— Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026
What survivors have said At least 279 hydropower workers have been rescued or managed to trudge their way out of the mud and silt riddled tunnels.

— Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of trudge

Verb

Installation doesn’t require crews to manually crawl along hundreds of miles of line.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 2 Sep. 2026
The Leao Tires subbrand has a huge range of truck, bus, and tractor tires for everything from daily driving on pavement to slow crawling through muddy farm fields.

— Michael Febbo, The Drive, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of crawl

Verb

Joined by his crew, Shakur stomps him out before the stunned gamblers and boxing fans.

— Jeff Weiss, HollywoodReporter, 1 Sep. 2026
The need for data Inside the headquarters of UBTech Robotics, one of China’s biggest humanoid robot firms, a silver-and-black mannequin picks up a box, stomps across the floor, and mechanically places the box on a shelf.

— Ann Scott Tyson, Christian Science Monitor, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of stomp

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plinths

plod

plodded

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“Plod.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plod. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of plod

verb

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