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
The levies have been set at rates seemingly plucked at random, economists said.
—
Peter S. Goodman, New York Times, 13 Apr. 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
The Olympics pluck at inner chords first sounded in my childhood.
—Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 25 Dec. 2024
Friday’s deep strike in the south could afford them more opportunities to pluck at these critical targets in the north.
—David Axe, Forbes, 1 Dec. 2024
Given how Lee and Badara Traore looked against the Patriots, expect Morgan to pluck at least one tackle off the waiver wire at final cuts.
—Joseph Person, The Athletic, 12 Aug. 2024
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Peter S. Goodman, New York Times, 13 Apr. 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
The Olympics pluck at inner chords first sounded in my childhood.
—Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 25 Dec. 2024
Friday’s deep strike in the south could afford them more opportunities to pluck at these critical targets in the north.
—David Axe, Forbes, 1 Dec. 2024
Given how Lee and Badara Traore looked against the Patriots, expect Morgan to pluck at least one tackle off the waiver wire at final cuts.
—Joseph Person, The Athletic, 12 Aug. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Pluck at.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pluck%20at. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
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