1
as in relentless
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Dissimilar Words
2
as in ambling
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
1
as in laboring
to devote serious and sustained effort
plodded night and day to get the assignment done
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stumbling
to proceed or act clumsily or ineffectually
oxen plodding through deep mud
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in dragging
to move slowly
plodded reluctantly off to work
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in shuffling
to move heavily or clumsily
wayfarers plodding across the sandy wastes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of plodding
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
3 June 2026
Neither is known for having much of an off-the-dribble game that could hurt the plodding Porzingis or Horford.
—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
17 Apr. 2026
His jogging gait is a bit plodding.
—
Caleb Yum,
Austin American Statesman,
5 Mar. 2026
His two-time matchup was Alejandro Kirk, an excellent hitter but, at 5-foot-8 and 245 pounds, a plodding runner.
—
Tyler Kepner,
New York Times,
4 Mar. 2026
Where the film falters is in its plodding rhythm and clunky dialogue, much of which is delivered too flatly by actors who don’t exactly steal their scenes.
—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Feb. 2026
At a plodding pace, the desert wilderness can be admired in all its granular splendor.
—
Anna Zacharias,
Condé Nast Traveler,
21 Jan. 2026
But the small lineup has helped with spacing, creating more driving lanes for Dent while also allowing Bilodeau to beat more plodding counterparts on offense.
—
Los Angeles Times,
8 Jan. 2026
Wisconsin was one of the nation’s most plodding teams under former coach Bo Ryan and continued that way under former assistant Greg Gard, as recently as two seasons ago ranking in the 300s in Division I in tempo.
—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 Nov. 2025
Arthur Knight,
HollywoodReporter,
25 June 2026
But plodding through them offers little pleasure, guilty or otherwise.
—
Glenn Whipp,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2026
The other human beings his size have either been plodding trees who can barely get up the floor or rail-thin gazelles who can’t handle the G-forces their bodies generate at full speed.
—
Jared Weiss,
New York Times,
24 May 2026
Just last week, an Alameda County jury awarded $16 million to one such abuse victim, in a key case aimed at spurring long-plodding settlement talks between other abuse victims and the diocese.
—
Jakob Rodgers,
Mercury News,
30 Apr. 2026
The Senate should be plodding, and steady, and boring, and trustworthy.
—
Scott Pelley,
CBS News,
26 Apr. 2026
The story was plodding, the characters frustrating, and the transitions through time poorly executed.
—
Literary Hub,
23 Apr. 2026
Previous to that, markets had expected multiple cuts this year in an effort to shore up the plodding labor market.
—
Jeff Cox,
CNBC,
8 Apr. 2026
This plodding approach is why NASA’s new administrator Jared Isaacman overhauled the Artemis program in February.
—
Marcia Dunn,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
Brunson was too small (6-foot-2), not long enough (with a 6-foot-4 wingspan) and too plodding.
—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
3 June 2026
Neither is known for having much of an off-the-dribble game that could hurt the plodding Porzingis or Horford.
—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
17 Apr. 2026
His jogging gait is a bit plodding.
—
Caleb Yum,
Austin American Statesman,
5 Mar. 2026
His two-time matchup was Alejandro Kirk, an excellent hitter but, at 5-foot-8 and 245 pounds, a plodding runner.
—
Tyler Kepner,
New York Times,
4 Mar. 2026
Where the film falters is in its plodding rhythm and clunky dialogue, much of which is delivered too flatly by actors who don’t exactly steal their scenes.
—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Feb. 2026
At a plodding pace, the desert wilderness can be admired in all its granular splendor.
—
Anna Zacharias,
Condé Nast Traveler,
21 Jan. 2026
But the small lineup has helped with spacing, creating more driving lanes for Dent while also allowing Bilodeau to beat more plodding counterparts on offense.
—
Los Angeles Times,
8 Jan. 2026
Wisconsin was one of the nation’s most plodding teams under former coach Bo Ryan and continued that way under former assistant Greg Gard, as recently as two seasons ago ranking in the 300s in Division I in tempo.
—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 Nov. 2025
Verb
Even the special effects emerge as less than spectacular — especially since Jeannot Szwarc’s plodding direction affords ample time for one to sit there and figure out just how they were accomplished.
—
Arthur Knight,
HollywoodReporter,
25 June 2026
But plodding through them offers little pleasure, guilty or otherwise.
—
Glenn Whipp,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2026
The other human beings his size have either been plodding trees who can barely get up the floor or rail-thin gazelles who can’t handle the G-forces their bodies generate at full speed.
—
Jared Weiss,
New York Times,
24 May 2026
Just last week, an Alameda County jury awarded $16 million to one such abuse victim, in a key case aimed at spurring long-plodding settlement talks between other abuse victims and the diocese.
—
Jakob Rodgers,
Mercury News,
30 Apr. 2026
The Senate should be plodding, and steady, and boring, and trustworthy.
—
Scott Pelley,
CBS News,
26 Apr. 2026
The story was plodding, the characters frustrating, and the transitions through time poorly executed.
—
Literary Hub,
23 Apr. 2026
Previous to that, markets had expected multiple cuts this year in an effort to shore up the plodding labor market.
—
Jeff Cox,
CNBC,
8 Apr. 2026
This plodding approach is why NASA’s new administrator Jared Isaacman overhauled the Artemis program in February.
—
Marcia Dunn,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plodding
Adjective
-
Swiss brand On is rapidly disrupting Nike's long-standing dominance in the global running footwear market, alongside Hoka, by prioritizing relentless innovation over celebrity endorsements.
-
The story of America is a story of industry, technical skill, and relentless optimism for what the future holds.
Adjective
-
For this Nuggets lineup, the average comes out to a pedestrian 6-9, with three capable perimeter defenders to assist the heavy-footed centers, two 40% 3-point shooters to space the floor, and a surplus of play-making talent.
-
Post struggled in his first go, thrown into the fire against the best team in the league that plays a style designed to punish heavy-footed centers.
Verb
-
The infant had been trapped for almost three days; a team of rescuers from Fairfax, Virginia, had been laboring to reach the boy, who was nine months old, for at least six hours.
-
In the days since posting the news, Mitchell has continued to update her followers about the aftermath and the start of the healing process, including videos of herself laboring.
Verb
-
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has also fallen foul of Germany’s World Cup elimination by Paraguay, after stumbling into a social media debacle following a communications blunder.
-
There's been some stumbling plays, thwarted by tripping and dramatic falls.
Verb
-
Compounding concerns, California officials say the Department of Transportation is dragging its feet.
-
One small habit that has helped me tremendously is dragging important emails directly into my calendar.
Verb
-
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.
-
Colombia is trying its luck from distance, but Costa has been equal to each shot, first punching away Jefferson Lerma's rocket from the right, about 25 yards out, and then shuffling his feet to his left and catching Jhon Arias's shot from about the same distance.
Adjective
-
Their unremitting appeal lies in their ability to make fashion feel deeply individual—all the more remarkable given their status as both designers and public figures.
-
The source material is occasionally witty and obsessive, but also carries a tone of unremitting nastiness.
Adjective
-
Thomas missed 57 games last season, mostly because of the same lingering left hamstring issue.
-
On the one hand, that means that many survive the disease without serious lingering effects.
Cite this Entry
“Plodding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plodding. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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