PLODS Synonyms: 159 Similar and Opposite Words

plods

verb

present tense third-person singular of plod

as in strives

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in stumbles

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in drags

to move slowly plodded reluctantly off to work

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in shuffles

to move heavily or clumsily wayfarers plodding across the sandy wastes

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for plods

Verb

This is all while Venus in Libra strives for justice, balance, cooperation and relationships that feel mutually considerate.

— Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 24 Aug. 2026
Chesney called Martin an unbelievable leader and said that his energy will give people a window into what his program strives to look like.

— Connor Dullinger, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of strives

Verb

In the movie, the two actors first cross paths when Ledger’s character stumbles upon Bettany, who is fully naked, strolling through the streets after losing his clothes and money from gambling.

— Meredith Wilshere, PEOPLE, 22 Aug. 2026
Shortly after, a young man stumbles towards Pat from the direction of the pub, rubbing his eyes in disbelief.

— Sheena McKenzie, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of stumbles

Verb

Burkhart added that if the trade war drags on, businesses will face far greater risks and consumers — already facing difficulties keeping up with inflation and higher fuel prices — will face a greater challenge with the cost of living.

— Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 3 Sep. 2026
The move drags romance into spaces once reserved for a workout or a self-care Sunday.

— Ashley Lynch, Sacbee.com, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of drags

Verb

The line shuffles forward quickly, and my heart knots in my chest as Heartfillers are dosed to each person up ahead.

— Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 25 Aug. 2026
In the clip, Dawkins shuffles out onto the field with no shirt, a pair of Crocs and a clear plastic bag ready to get the ol' inside-out treatment.

— Matt Reigle OutKick, FOXNews.com, 16 Aug. 2026

Definition of shuffles

Verb

Deep in the Pyrenees mountains, a young man, Miquel, struggles in the wake of his mother’s death in a snowstorm — a tragic event that was at the center of Tóibín’s 2006 novella, A Long Winter.

— Mary Lawrence Ware, semafor.com, 3 Sep. 2026
Starring Weber Yang and Chang Shih Ying (Yen And Ai-Lee), the film depicts a grieving family that struggles to recover from a fragile relationship after an unexpected tragic accident.

— Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of struggles

Verb

Six months later, the war trudges on, indirectly ensnaring much of the world by severely disrupting global trade.

— Mark Sappenfield, Christian Science Monitor, 27 Aug. 2026
Enola dutifully trudges between clues and possibilities, shuffling through crime scenes and racing around shady spaces, all of this much more paint-by-numbers than connect-the-dots.

— Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 30 June 2026

Definition of trudges

Verb

Hairy-nosed wombat births are hard to spot, as after about a 30-day pregnancy, the joey crawls into its mother’s pouch.

— Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 16 Aug. 2026
Researchers have developed a new control framework that enables humanoid robots to perform agile movements, including army crawls, breakdancing and backflips.

— Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of crawls

Verb

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
Achord bounces on his toes like an impatient little kid watching his guys work, stomps his right foot on the ground and vaults his right arm forward to demonstrate how someone should return a kick.

— Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of stomps

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.

Browse Nearby Words

ploddingly

plods

plop

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Plods.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plods. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of plods

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

matriculate

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Games & Quizzes