plugs 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of plug
1
as in fills
to close up so that no empty spaces remain plugged the hole in the wall with putty

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in struggles
to devote serious and sustained effort plugged away at solving the math problem

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in promotes
to provide publicity for the actress is giving lots of interviews to plug her latest movie

Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in shoots
to strike with a missile from a gun the drug lord plugged the stool pigeon as a lesson for any others who were tempted to talk

Synonyms & Similar Words

plugs

2 of 2

noun

plural of plug
1
as in cobs

Related Words
2
as in buildups

Related Words
3
as in hooks

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

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 plugs
Verb
Wilson plugs a creative gap in the Leeds line-up off that inside-right channel. — Aston Villa, New York Times, 13 July 2026 The discovery also plugs a gap in our understanding of Venus's dense atmosphere. — Keith Cooper, Space.com, 13 May 2026 Another distinction is its saddle and seatpost, which form a unit that plugs into a corner of the square motor/battery assembly. — ArsTechnica, 16 Apr. 2026 For older systems, travelers can purchase additional accessories like AirFly, which plugs into the headphone jack and connects to wireless headphones via Bluetooth. — Michael Cappetta, Travel + Leisure, 5 Mar. 2026 Her lending company plugs those sorts of details — student transcripts and internship experiences, for example— into an algorithm that determines the likelihood applicants will complete college, get a job and make enough money to pay back the loan. — James Pollard, Fortune, 28 Nov. 2025 When Jonah plugs his drive into the server, the drones immediately lock onto him. — Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Oct. 2025 The closest Grocery Outlets are in Point Loma and Mira Mesa, so this location plugs a gap for San Diego’s central coastal neighborhoods. — Roxana Popescu, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Oct. 2025 The tree plugs into a standard outlet and features a 60-foot cord. — Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 20 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plugs
  1. fills
  2. struggles
  3. promotes
  4. shoots
  5. skates
  6. ads
  7. hooks
  8. packs
Verb
  • Exactly one feature film in history — The Odyssey — was shot entirely with Imax film cameras and fills a traditional Imax screen from floor to ceiling for its whole run time.
    — Lane Brown, Vulture, 25 July 2026
  • The result is a continuously growing dataset that fills gaps traditional surveys struggle to reach.
    — Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 25 July 2026
Definition of fills
Verb
  • Missile salvos and militia attacks have choked key shipping lanes, damaged Saudi oil facilities and driven up global prices even as fragile diplomacy struggles to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and avert escalation.
    — Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 30 July 2026
  • The film follows a young man who struggles to balance his mental problems, medication, and drugs with his musical ambitions.
    — Zac Ntim, Deadline, 30 July 2026
Definition of struggles
Verb
  • Prior to ​the ⁠verdict, the Committee to Protect Journalists, an independent non-profit organization that promotes press ⁠freedom ​worldwide, said 29 journalists ​were imprisoned in Russia in connection with their work.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 29 July 2026
  • Between such posts, Wall Street Mav promotes Kalshi betting odds.
    — Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 28 July 2026
Definition of promotes
Verb
  • Tom Ellis shoots a tense scene for the CBS police drama CIA in Queens, New York City, on July 24.
    — People Staff, PEOPLE, 25 July 2026
  • Watson shoots a 13-under 271 at Muirfield Golf Links at Gullane, Scotland.
    — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 20 July 2026
Definition of shoots
Noun
  • For the dozens of NHL, minor league and college players who make their off-season homes in Minnesota, informal morning skates at various arenas throughout the Twin Cities have been going on for decades.
    — Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 17 July 2026
  • Monaghan’s character is also getting back on her feet — on ice skates.
    — Mara Santilli, Flow Space, 2 July 2026
Definition of skates
Noun
  • Another independent expenditure group, ImpactCT, is spending on digital ads and mailers in support of Bronin that touch on the same themes around corporate PAC money, as well as his support for a ban on congressional stock trading.
    — Lisa Hagen, Hartford Courant, 25 July 2026
  • The retargeting ads, the rebrand, the CRM that half your team avoids.
    — Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 25 July 2026
Definition of ads
Noun
  • It has also been thoughtfully designed, with removable cargo hooks that more cars should provide.
    — Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 21 July 2026
  • Luna Duran, whose brown hair hangs almost to her knees, waited there, with hooks installed in the flesh on her thin shoulder blades.
    — Lauren Oyler, New Yorker, 20 July 2026
Definition of hooks
Verb
  • Anchored by the towering active Turrialba Volcano, this striking region packs rolling highlands, coffee fields, dairy farms, dense rainforest and Caribbean landscapes into one area.
    — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 24 July 2026
  • At only 60 inches wide, West Elm’s Bogart sofa packs a lot of style into a small-space-friendly frame.
    — Kate McGregor, Architectural Digest, 23 July 2026
Definition of packs

Browse Nearby Words

plugolas
plugs
plugs (away)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Plugs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plugs. Accessed 1 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on plugs

Nglish: Translation of plugs for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of spindrift

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

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

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Your vs. You're: How to Use Them Correctly
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Jul. 31

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All