PLEASE HELP. AOL/Verizon/MacMail Constantly downloading thousands of emails

Hi - for the love of god, has anyone found what the secret is to make the AWFUL Verizon.net/AOL email merger, work seamlessly with Mac Mail.

On my 2017 iMac, running High Sierra, viewing emails on MacMail.

While my AOL/Verizon emails anymore were very slow to come in, I wasn't having that many issues with the MacMail performance. However, in the past few weeks, I am AGAIN seeing (in the lower left corner), emails by the thousands constantly come in.

"Preparing to move messages - 25,000 of 257,000"

Messages like this are constant.

I can view emails no problem on the AOL Webmail.

I can view emails no problem on the iPhone Mail app.

I have my issues on the desktop version.

I need to use my Mac Mail, on my desktop, because all my clients folders, and everything are on there. Also, I prefer to use it, and have used it for years, so "use gmail" is not a solution.

My work emails are showing up hours later in MacMail. My personal emails aren't even coming in anymore. They are on the app & phone but NOT on o the desktop.

I physically spent an hour today, on aol.com/webail, my "actual email" and deleted the 90,000 emails i have had since about 2008. I bit the bullett and did it, figuring if I deleted them at the source, they couldn't somehow keep re-downloading.

So, I did that, and on my AOL, I only have 'physical' emails that date back to this year, 2020. I have a total, on the ACTUAL AOL email, on AOL.Com, of 2,345 emails.

I deleted the same emails on the Mac Mail program, restart, etc.

Should be good!

But when i looked at me MacMail inbox, there are 13,825 emails.

With messages form 2017, that SHOULD'NT possibly be there, because they don't exist.

With all this COVID "work at home", this is killing my work productivity and ability to function.

Has ANYONE figure why, AOL/VERIZON emails keep downloading and re-downloading (from somewhere????) thousands of emails that shouldn't exit.

AOL Support says it's a Mac Mail problem.

For the love of God, does anyone know the answer?

extremely frustrated -

Jerry