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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 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

Humans engaged user interfaces to command software and engage with outputs like dashboards, while APIs labored in the background.

— George C. Lee II, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026
Royals starter Seth Lugo labored through 4 2/3 innings while allowing five runs.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 15 Aug. 2026

Definition of labored

Verb

But most of the attempts to scale sodium-ion cells stumbled over short lifespans and poor heat tolerance.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 27 Aug. 2026
In her attempt to get away, the woman stumbled and injured her leg, screaming for help the whole time, police said.

— Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of stumbled

Verb

The winter chill that dragged digital assets down during most of the hot summer months is finally beginning to lift, with the price of Bitcoin surging about 20 percent last week, its strongest three-day rally since 2023.

— Peter Mintzberg, Fortune, 27 Aug. 2026
In 2024, Burke’s squad dragged itself off the mat after an awful (yet at the time, typical) start to the season to go unbeaten in 12 of 13 matches down the stretch and narrowly miss the playoffs.

— Kels Dayton, Hartford Courant, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of dragged

Verb

Finally, the next season, Karlsson was shuffled frequently between Abbotsford and Vancouver and resided at the fringes of the NHL lineup.

— Thomas Drance, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Venegas scrolled through his phone while Penna shuffled past us to grab a drink from the office fridge.

— Christine Terrisse, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of shuffled

Verb

When the final whistle ended, Messi and the rest of the men in pink trudged off the field and the silent, disappointed crowd headed to the parking lots and train station.

— Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 23 Aug. 2026
Kolisi trudged off in the 25th minute of his first match in seven weeks after damaging his hamstring.

— ABC News, ABC News, 8 Aug. 2026

Definition of trudged

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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 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of plodded

verb

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