variants or plonk
ˈpläŋk How to pronounce plunk (audio)
ˈplȯŋk
plunked or plonked; plunking or plonking; plunks or plonks

transitive verb

1
: to pluck or hit so as to produce a quick, hollow, metallic, or harsh sound
2
: to set down suddenly : plump

intransitive verb

1
: to make a plunking sound
2
: to drop abruptly : dive
3
: to come out in favor of someone or something : plump
used with for
plunk noun
plunker noun

Examples of plunk in a Sentence

You've been plunking that banjo all afternoon! She plunked out a little tune on the piano. plunking away on a guitar The pitcher plunked the first two batters of the game. She plunked a mug of coffee on the counter.
Recent Examples on the Web That’s why the sounds of crunching and plunking and tapping are so heavily amplified, and also one of the reasons acrylic (and, to a lesser extent, glass) containers—hard, unyielding, cacophonous when thumped—are such a ubiquitous tool of the trade. Amanda Mull, The Atlantic, 8 Jan. 2024 So far the project has managed only to plunk a seeming white elephant on the region’s premier industrial plot. Laura Vozzella, Washington Post, 28 Dec. 2023 Earlier this season, the benches cleared after several players were plunked and buzzed, and then Garcia hit a grand slam. Ryan Morik, Fox News, 21 Oct. 2023 Those with more time and inclination may figure out how to get custom videos working consistently, but at least in my experience, the process is a bit more involved than simply plunking a video in a folder. Andrew Cunningham, Ars Technica, 26 Sep. 2023 When Garcia came back up to the plate in the bottom of the eighth inning, Astros pitcher Bryan Abreu plunked the Rangers outfielder. Chantz Martin, Fox News, 21 Oct. 2023 Scan your stuff, plunk it in a bag, and you’re done. Amanda Mull, The Atlantic, 18 Oct. 2023 Her home country’s government has plunked her on a waitlist. Mayukh Sen, The New Republic, 19 Oct. 2023 The center’s collection includes large-scale pieces by artists like Isamu Noguchi, Alexander Calder, Andy Goldsworthy, Richard Serra, and Louise Bourgeois, plunked onto grassy knolls. Amanda Petrusich, The New Yorker, 25 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'plunk.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

imitative

First Known Use

1808, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of plunk was in 1808

Dictionary Entries Near plunk

Cite this Entry

“Plunk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plunk. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

plunk

verb
variants or plonk
ˈpläŋk How to pronounce plunk (audio)
ˈplȯŋk
1
: to make or cause to make a hollow, metallic, or harsh sound
plunk the strings of a banjo
2
: to drop or set down suddenly
plunk a suitcase on the bench
plunk noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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