pluck at
phrasal verb
plucked at; plucking at; plucks at
: to pull part of (something) with one's fingers especially more than once
He nervously plucked at the blanket.
Examples of pluck at in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
There were a great deal of American flags, which plucked at the patriotism that is oftentimes associated with country music.
—
Caché McClay, The Tennessean, 15 July 2025
Among their findings: Montgomery achieved his warm tone by playing closer to the bridge and mostly plucking at the string.
—ArsTechnica, 31 May 2025
Here, things move at warp speed, even as the movie constantly trips over itself trying to pluck at the next heart string.
—Brandon Yu, New York Times, 20 May 2025
Other good players have been plucked at those spots -- Jalen Johnson, Caris LaVert, Brendan Haywood, among others.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 31 Mar. 2025
The magpie can be seen plucking at the muntjac's coat.
—Jack Beresford, Newsweek, 18 Mar. 2025
The wacky mascot appeared on stage at the Dolby Theater on Sunday — first playing the piano and then plucking at the harp — in a visual gag that recalled decades of jokes from the night’s host Conan O’Brien.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 3 Mar. 2025
Listen to this article Frank Pellico showed no signs that his final night tickling the keyboards as the Chicago Blackhawks’ organist was plucking at his heartstrings.
—Phil Thompson, Chicago Tribune, 24 Feb. 2025
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Caché McClay, The Tennessean, 15 July 2025
Among their findings: Montgomery achieved his warm tone by playing closer to the bridge and mostly plucking at the string.
—ArsTechnica, 31 May 2025
Here, things move at warp speed, even as the movie constantly trips over itself trying to pluck at the next heart string.
—Brandon Yu, New York Times, 20 May 2025
Other good players have been plucked at those spots -- Jalen Johnson, Caris LaVert, Brendan Haywood, among others.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 31 Mar. 2025
The magpie can be seen plucking at the muntjac's coat.
—Jack Beresford, Newsweek, 18 Mar. 2025
The wacky mascot appeared on stage at the Dolby Theater on Sunday — first playing the piano and then plucking at the harp — in a visual gag that recalled decades of jokes from the night’s host Conan O’Brien.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 3 Mar. 2025
Listen to this article Frank Pellico showed no signs that his final night tickling the keyboards as the Chicago Blackhawks’ organist was plucking at his heartstrings.
—Phil Thompson, Chicago Tribune, 24 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pluck at.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pluck%20at. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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