1
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
2
as in stumbles
to proceed or act clumsily or ineffectually
oxen plodding through deep mud
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
4
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
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And in a constantly changing world, Keast strives to keep members abreast of everything from weapons platforms to pressing global and domestic threats.—
Ellen Mitchell,
The Hill,
18 Sep. 2025 -
This is despite 77% of HR leaders saying their company strives to be exceedingly fair during layoffs.—
Mark C. Perna,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Yet, when a star athlete—the rival who excels at everything—finally stumbles in a sport, a subtle surge of neurological pleasure briefly ignites.—
Richard Menger MD MPA,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
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Daniel, meanwhile, stumbles upon Laura's phone, which fell under a side table during her fight with Cherry, and listens to the recording of Cherry's mom, Tracey (Karen Henthorn), warning that her daughter is darker and more vengeful than Daniel ever knew.—
Julia Moore,
People.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Need to know Nvidia probe drags on.—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
17 Sep. 2025
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Cole Palmer intelligently pulls wide and drags Jones with him, leaving a notable distance between Jones and Gravenberch in the middle.—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Gakpo is deeper, and Wirtz pushes forward as the central member of Liverpool’s forward line, while Ekitike shuffles across as the left of the trio.—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
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Because global air travel shuffles millions of people around the world daily, an outbreak of a very contagious disease anywhere can become a threat everywhere.—
Amy E. Stambach,
The Conversation,
12 Aug. 2025
Verb
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In recent decades, as China has laid down vast networks of high-speed rail and thrown up shimmering cities, Americans have developed a deepening sense that their own country struggles to get things done.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
15 Sep. 2025
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He was sacked six times by a team that struggles to put pressure on opposing quarterbacks.—
Steve Silverman,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
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During interviews for an in-depth Fortune story on KDP published in June, Cofer detailed his strategy for expanding margins and achieving high growth in soft drinks, a field that overall just trudges forward.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
26 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Gameplay begins as the player crawls from the wreckage.—
G Kirilloff,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
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In the footage, the dog hilariously crawls under the blanket, which had slipped down the side of his crate, and ends up pulling it completely off.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The guy just f****** stomps right on my face.—
Andrew Ravens,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Aug. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Plods.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plods. Accessed 22 Sep. 2025.
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