PLODDED Synonyms: 165 Similar and Opposite Words

plodded

verb

past tense of plod

as in labored

to devote serious and sustained effort plodded night and day to get the assignment done

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in stumbled

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

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as in dragged

to move slowly plodded reluctantly off to work

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as in shuffled

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 plodded An hour into the match, Villa Park — tense as the home side plodded against Leeds United a goal down — broke out in excitement. — Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026 Loaded trucks plodded through the crowd with people in their cargo beds throwing tomatoes at the revelers — who, in turn, hurled them at one another. — ABC News, 26 Aug. 2026 Minnesota’s defense has been unreliable lately, but Wisconsin’s offense has plodded most of the year. — Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 28 Nov. 2025 For months, the two initiatives plodded along, with photo ops and declarations of good will. — Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025 The Demon Deacons coach ran towards Belichick while removing his hat as the six-time Super Bowl champion coach plodded his way across the field for a blow-by handshake. — Andrew McCarty, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Nov. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for plodded

Verb

The circumstances of Saint Michael’s help while the pilgrim labored and delivered in the ocean were markedly different from those in the miracle ascribed to the Virgin.

— Ellen O’Connell Whittet, Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2026
Jaylen Wright labored all week, fighting his way back from a foot injury that sidelined him the previous game.

— Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of labored

Verb

Drew Rasmussen squandered a two-run lead on the mound, Tampa Bay's bullpen let the game get away and the Rays stumbled to a 7-3 loss against the Cleveland Guardians in their American League Championship Series opener Monday night.

— ABC News, ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026
Kore-eda stumbled on the manga in a bookshop rather than through its serial run.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of stumbled

Verb

Some poor families trudged from one village to another, falling victim to violence, hunger and cold.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026
And, like any good party, someone had a notion that the others loved — and so the players trudged back onto the field to have a team photo taken in front of the Crown Vision board still displaying a congratulatory message to the White Sox.

— Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of trudged

Verb

In May 2025, after Williams shut off the water in a cell, 10 inmates removed a toilet, crawled through a gap in the wall and scaled a fence out of the jail.

— ABC News, ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026
In real-world tests, the hand crawled across 14 different surfaces including smooth floors, metal grates, grass, and gravel.

— Edd Gent, IEEE Spectrum, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of crawled

Verb

McColley pushed Parente out onto the street and stomped his boot in the victim’s face five times, crushing Parente’s head into the pavement before fleecing his pockets and fleeing, according to the criminal complaint.

— Rebecca White, New York Daily News, 13 Oct. 2026
Letter writers recalled how Paden saved his father’s life when a cow nearly stomped him to death in a field, after the elder Paden came between the cow and her calf.

— Glenn Rice, Kansas City Star, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of stomped

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plod

plodded

plodder

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“Plodded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plodded. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of plodded

verb

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