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
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pluck
Philip Elliott, Time, 26 Jan. 2026
The Warriors briefly showed some pluck in the first half against the Thunder.
—Ron Kroichick, San Francisco Chronicle, 2 Jan. 2026
Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 4 May 2026
Forget pluck, elbow grease and a little old-fashioned hard work.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for pluck
Noun
Trump is fond of Paxton’s pluck and Hunt’s ambition.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 26 Jan. 2026
The Warriors briefly showed some pluck in the first half against the Thunder.
—Ron Kroichick, San Francisco Chronicle, 2 Jan. 2026
Verb
One of those appointees would be plucked from a nominee list drawn up by the Denver Regional Council of Governments, and another must be a current or former member of the Amalgamated Transit Union, which represents many RTD train and bus operators.
—Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 4 May 2026
Forget pluck, elbow grease and a little old-fashioned hard work.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for pluck
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pluck
Noun
-
Subscribe now There could be no better example of the pull these franchises have among the local and Indian diaspora fan base than the Mittal family, whose roots are in the state of Rajasthan.—
Priyanka Salve,
CNBC,
8 May 2026
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Instead of billet housing, Castaneda and his teammates bounced around from one Airbnb to the next, sleeping on couches, pull-out mattresses or the kitchen floor.—
Kenny Jacoby,
USA Today,
7 May 2026
Noun
-
The courage to make those choices and keep moving forward is what has defined my journey.—
Noor Lobad,
Footwear News,
28 Apr. 2026
-
But when a mysterious aircraft sinks into the ocean, Ally’s peaceful world is suddenly thrown into danger and is thrust into a journey real-life marine creatures as the film explores themes of friendship and courage.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
It was triggered, in his telling, by the record oil price spike of June 2008, which forced ordinary households to absorb more than $2,000 in additional energy costs on top of adjustable-rate mortgage resets that were already squeezing them.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
9 May 2026
-
Gas prices, housing costs and groceries are squeezing people who are working hard yet still falling behind.—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
These planetesimals interact, collide, smash one another apart and/or get stuck together, and gravitationally tug on one another.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
30 Apr. 2026
-
An all-in-one matte essential, this no-tug formula is infused with shea butter and jojoba oil, applying smoothly over fine lines on mature lips without dragging.—
Micaela English,
Glamour,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Pier 6 Seafood & Oyster House In San Leon, Pier 6 Seafood & Oyster House will offer a Mother’s Day menu alongside Chef Joe Cervantez’s weekend brunch dishes, including lobster Benedict, hot chicken doughnuts, shrimp and grits and cold seafood platters.—
Ana Khan,
Houston Chronicle,
3 May 2026
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Unique is meant to embody that racial trauma, but Moore doesn’t possess the grit necessary to make the pain and sorrow resonate.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
And they are left victorious at trial but still stinging from the episode.—
Armando Salguero OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
6 May 2026
-
Bass faced stinging criticism over her absence from the city when the fire broke out and her handling of the recovery.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
No snagging Lower-quality beard combs often have the intolerable tendency to pull, yank or just rip out clumps of facial hair.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
29 Apr. 2026
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Each blade has a pull tab at the top of its cartridge; just give it a gentle yank to remove it.—
Jenny Berg,
Vogue,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
For Garcia, that sense of something built by instinct and fortitude is part of what makes the next chapter feel so charged.—
Michelle F. Solomon,
Miami Herald,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Like my predecessors, my life has been grounded in faith and fortitude.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pluck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pluck. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
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