plunk

verb \ ˈpləŋk \

variants: or plonk play \ˈpläŋk, ˈplȯŋk\

Definition of plunk

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

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plunk

noun

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plunker

noun

See plunk defined for English-language learners

See plunk defined for kids

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 of plunk from the Web

In fact, for a while there, Tyrion—who was always nice to our heroes Jon, Sansa, and Bran—was the perfect way to plunk a sympathetic character on the side of the scheming King’s Landing elite.

— joanna robinson, vanityfair.com, "Game of Thrones:," 6 Aug. 2017
In fact, for a while there, Tyrion—who was always nice to our heroes Jon, Sansa, and Bran—was the perfect way to plunk a sympathetic character on the side of the scheming King’s Landing elite.

— joanna robinson, HWD, "Game of Thrones: Why Jaime Lannister Can’t Die . . . Yet," 6 Aug. 2017
A local man who recently plunked down $2 for a Weekly Grand scratch off lottery ticket appears to have made a good investment.

— anna m. tinsley, star-telegram, "Fort Worth man cashes in lottery ticket worth nearly $1 million," 2 Aug. 2017
Customers stood in lines the world over to plunk down hundreds of thousands of $1,000 deposits—an unprecedented show of enthusiasm for a new vehicle from a relatively young automaker.

— tom randall, Bloomberg.com, "Here Come the Tesla Model 3s ... and a Few Surprises," 27 July 2017
Out of the Crate After plunking down $86,090, buyers can fit a bunch of extra bits on their Demons to get the power figure up to 840 horsepower when burning 100-octane gasoline.

— k.c. colwell, Car and Driver, "2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon," 20 July 2017
Martinez was plunked on his left hand while fouling off a 90-mile per hour fastball.

— connor grossman, SI.com, "Starting Nine: Nolan Arenado steals the show; Dodgers can't lose and more," 19 July 2017
The company has a long way to go to reach demand, and about 400,000 plunked down their cash to get on the waiting list for a 3.

— andrew moseman, Popular Mechanics, "See the Photos of the First Real Tesla Model 3," 10 July 2017
Green has voiced his belief that deliberately plunking a batter is an outdated mode of retribution, especially if the opposing side did not have ill intent.

— dennis lin, sandiegouniontribune.com, "MLB suspends Dave Roberts one game, fines Andy Green," 1 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'plunk.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of plunk

imitative

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1808

See Words from the same year

plunk Synonyms

Synonyms

flump, plank, plop, plump, flop (or plonk)

Related Words

fling, heave, sling, toss; ensconce, install, plant, settle

PLUNK Defined for English Language Learners

plunk

verb

Definition of plunk for English Language Learners

: to pull or hit a string or key on a musical instrument with your fingers especially in a way that makes a brief, somewhat harsh sound
: to hit (someone or something) especially with a ball
: to drop or place (something or someone) in a forceful and often careless way