1
as in relentless
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2
as in ambling
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Dissimilar Words
1
as in laboring
to devote serious and sustained effort
plodded night and day to get the assignment done
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stumbling
to proceed or act clumsily or ineffectually
oxen plodding through deep mud
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in dragging
to move slowly
plodded reluctantly off to work
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4
as in shuffling
to move heavily or clumsily
wayfarers plodding across the sandy wastes
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of plodding
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
What truly hampers Regretting You is its inescapable unoriginality, its plodding, uninventive, unthoughtful attempts at swoon and heartbreak.
—Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 22 Oct. 2025
Occasionally, as in the obscurity of Legion’s later episodes or the plodding pace of some Fargo plots, this approach can verge on self-indulgence.
—Judy Berman, Time, 5 Aug. 2025
Max Bultman, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2026
The first half of the film feels very slow and plodding.
—NPR, 11 Nov. 2025
Before the former became a modern classic, its debut was considered a touch plodding and a tad dark.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 6 Nov. 2025
Like most people who headed west on the trail, the Ziebers joined a larger group for safety during the five-month journey, their oxen plodding six days a week.
—Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 3 Nov. 2025
But alternative reports from organizations like the Chicago Fed have shown an economy that’s plodding along.
—Samantha Subin, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2025
And although the modern age of gaming is mostly dominated by a Soulslike ethos of action that prioritizes methodical dodging and plodding, there are many fans who yearn for a return to the heyday of 2000s-era slash ‘em ups.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 20 Oct. 2025
The Room 13 maze perfectly matches the tired, plodding and slow jazz soundtrack.
—Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 19 Sep. 2025
The two fighters advanced, Ali jogging enthusiastically and Frazier plodding, cautious.
—Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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.
—Verb
And while that hasn’t always been by choice (the draft lottery didn’t do them any favors), the Red Wings’ patient, plodding rebuild has been a case study in just how long the process can take if just a couple of elements go wrong.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for plodding
Adjective
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The relentless Chacon lurched outside after her just as his car door opened and out popped their 6-year-old son, begging his dad to stop.—
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Czechia had trouble handling a relentless Sweden forecheck and tight coverage all over.—
Verb
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That’s right, the Patriot did in two seasons what the Dolphins have been laboring since 2008 to achieve.—
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Mobley had been laboring to expand his range all offseason, launching thousands of 3s.—
Verb
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The Packers are stumbling coming into the playoff with four straight losses, two of them via absolute giveaways.—
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Government agencies and businesses that invest in this training, and that insist every critical number survives a deterministic check, will capture AI's benefits without stumbling into its blind spots.—
Verb
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Kerra, the dog referenced in the video, had developed a grapefruit-sized mass on her breast tissue that was dragging on the ground and causing significant discomfort.—
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That takes nothing away, though, from the epic job Herbert did dragging the Chargers through the second half of the season.—
Verb
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Go on a street food tour Street food tours are great things to do in Sicily and a fabulous alternative to hours of shuffling through museums.—
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It's designed to offer a satisfying and calming shuffling motion, guided by a strong magnet and a seamless sliding track on the inside.—
Adjective
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His platform was clear and attuned to voters’ mood; his social-media operation and field organizing were expert; his charisma was unremitting.—
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There seemed to be an element of sadomasochistic play in their relationship, of withholding and succumbing, that contravenes the popular sense of an unremitting dominant-submissive dynamic.—
Adjective
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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.—
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The Knicks whipped the ball around the perimeter before Brunson used a Towns screen as a decoy to freeze Gobert and launch a pass to Anunoby that he’s forced to catch in stride and blow past the heavy-footed center for a bucket.—
Verb
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However, the technology has been moving faster than state regulations can accommodate, and lawmakers have been struggling to walk the line between innovation and patient safety.—
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And, for many borrowers struggling with debt, exploring alternatives like debt settlement or consolidation may offer significant relief without the complications that bankruptcy rules can create.—
Cite this Entry
“Plodding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plodding. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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