Meaning & use
keep plugging along
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Meaning
phraseintransitiveinformal
to continue making progress slowly and steadily, especially when something is difficult or boring
Grammar: Used without an object; often followed by 'with something' or 'through something'.
Patterns
- keep plugging along
- keep plugging along with something
- keep plugging along through something
Even though the project was tough, she kept plugging along and finished it on time.
He kept plugging along with his studies despite the distractions.
Just keep plugging along; you'll reach your goal eventually.
Common combinations
- keep plugging along with work
- I'm tired, but I'll keep plugging along with work until it's done.
- just keep plugging along
- Just keep plugging along and you'll succeed.
- keep plugging along through difficulties
- They kept plugging along through difficulties and never gave up.
Synonyms and how they differ
- persevere
- More formal and serious; 'keep plugging along' is informal and suggests steady, unspectacular effort.
- keep going
- More general; 'keep plugging along' emphasizes a slow, laborious continuation.
Opposites
Practice
Which sentence uses 'keep plugging along' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Keep plugging along' means to continue steadily. Option B is correct. Option A uses 'plug' literally (to fill a hole), option C is unnatural because 'plug along' does not take a destination, and option D uses 'plug' in a different sense (to promote).
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “keep plugging along”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.