pluck 1 of 2

noun

Definition of plucknext
1
as in pull
the act or an instance of applying force on something so that it moves in the direction of the force a quick pluck pulled the hair right out

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in courage
the strength of mind that enables a person to endure pain or hardship it takes pluck to survive a crippling car accident and still go on to become successful

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

pluck

2 of 2

verb

ˈplək How to pronounce pluck (audio)
as in to squeeze
to rob by the use of trickery or threats the Internet opened up a whole new medium for con artists to pluck the gullible

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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 pluck
Noun
Taking one of America’s oldest and best-known brands into the future takes more than pluck and drive. — Adriana Lee, WWD, 26 Nov. 2024 The opening acoustic guitar plucks get plenty of low and low-mid resonance, while strong treble response gives a clear, crisp string texture. — PCMAG, 12 Nov. 2024
Verb
They were all plucked from Gerbi’s orbit of creatives. — Rhonda Richford, WWD, 4 Mar. 2025 Leaving the ‘Touch of Gold’ Holly in the planter, pluck out the cool weather annuals to make room for their summer-friendly counterparts. — Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 28 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for pluck
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pluck
  1. pull
  2. courage
  3. squeeze
  4. tug
  5. grit
  6. sting
  7. yank
  8. fortitude
Noun
  • The comedy is so wonderfully weightless as to seem entirely free from the gravitational pull of the history that had preoccupied Wilde’s family, and of a place called Ireland, where the unfortunately unavailable food was not the cucumber but the potato.
    — Fintan O'Toole, The New Yorker, 10 Mar. 2025
  • For a song that is so personal and meaningful, having a hat pull focus would not have fit the vision.
    — Kinsey Jasnoch, Vulture, 7 Mar. 2025
Definition of pull
Noun
  • Final Thoughts In 2025, businesses that thrive will be those that have the courage to define a niche and serve it relentlessly.
    — Sneha Lundia, Forbes, 10 Mar. 2025
  • Lilian, with a phobia of reptiles, nevertheless gathered the courage for her children’s sake, running a finger along the back of the boa constrictor.
    — Yiyun Li, The New Yorker, 9 Mar. 2025
Definition of courage
Verb
  • Goldman Sachs previously estimated these tariffs could push inflation up by 1 percent while squeezing U.S. company profits and provoking retaliatory measures from other countries.
    — Raja Krishnamoorthi, Newsweek, 13 Mar. 2025
  • Instead of mechanical rollers, this mask uses inflating and deflating mechanisms to gently squeeze around your eyes and temples, creating a rhythmic, pulse-like massage.
    — Siena Gagliano, Allure, 13 Mar. 2025
Definition of squeeze
Noun
  • Even so, Wilmore and Williams will face extensive rehabilitation over the next several weeks and months as their bodies re-adapt to the unfamiliar tug of gravity. Hague and Gorbunov, who spent spent 171 days in space, will re-adapt more quickly, perhaps, but both will require physical therapy.
    — William Harwood, CBS News, 17 Mar. 2025
  • The gravitational tug of neighboring galaxies compresses gas within a galaxy, triggering star formation.
    — Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 16 Mar. 2025
Definition of tug
Noun
  • Sigma Beauty Spa Brush Cleaning Glove $42 AMAZON Rather than lathering your brush by hand, slide on this glove for extra grit with half the effort.
    — Kiana Murden, Vogue, 18 Mar. 2025
  • New highlights include Oysters Rockefeller with a miso twist and Drunken Prawns with Cajun spice and puffed grits, a nod to Sam DuVall’s Mississippi roots.
    — Chelsea Davis, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025
Definition of grit
Verb
  • His touch and shot stung Simon Mignolet’s palms and got Prince William, a friend of Mings, briefly off his seat from the stands above.
    — Jacob Tanswell, The Athletic, 13 Mar. 2025
  • Find out about the equipment and site(s) needed to get started with your own adventure with these stinging insects that produce honey and useful beeswax.
    — Joe Rassel, Orlando Sentinel, 12 Mar. 2025
Definition of sting
Noun
  • The resulting specs: 434 ponies and 525 lb-ft of yank.
    — Sean Evans, Robb Report, 30 Oct. 2024
  • With tugs and yanks and positive feedback, a planetary makeover began that is rampant today.
    — Stephen Pyne, Scientific American, 16 Apr. 2024
Definition of yank
Noun
  • That memory still burns, creating just the right balance of fortitude and redemption.
    — Patrick Z. McGavin, Chicago Tribune, 8 Mar. 2025
  • Cheaper laughs run rampant, invoking and evacuating seriousness in one limp gesture, smothering any thought or feeling at risk of requiring fortitude.
    — Lauren Michele Jackson, The New Yorker, 27 Feb. 2025
Definition of fortitude

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“Pluck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pluck. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.

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