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
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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
Randy Myers, Mercury News, 22 May 2025
In Spanish, my grandmother read tales from Las Mil y Una Noches—in English, The Thousand and One Nights—bringing the world beyond Leigh Street, Scheherazade's magical world of Central Asian pluck, heroism and ingenuity, into the life of my mother and her siblings.
—Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 May 2025
Dane Brugler, New York Times, 24 July 2025
Pieces from Stock are often plucked by stylists for celebrity editorials for Vanity Fair, Esquire and GQ.
—Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 6 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pluck
Noun
Camille Rutherford brings the right amount of pluck and uncertainty as the perpetually single Parisian bookseller Agathe, a lover of books and words.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 22 May 2025
In Spanish, my grandmother read tales from Las Mil y Una Noches—in English, The Thousand and One Nights—bringing the world beyond Leigh Street, Scheherazade's magical world of Central Asian pluck, heroism and ingenuity, into the life of my mother and her siblings.
—Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 May 2025
Verb
His quick transition to pluck, collect himself and leapfrog the defensive back without gearing down is special stuff.
—Dane Brugler, New York Times, 24 July 2025
Pieces from Stock are often plucked by stylists for celebrity editorials for Vanity Fair, Esquire and GQ.
—Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 6 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pluck
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pluck
Noun
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They aren’t constrained by attention spans or the pull of conformity.—
Neeraj Gulati,
Forbes.com,
18 Aug. 2025
-
Architect and San Diego native Mark Silva couldn’t resist the pull.—
Jen Murphy,
Travel + Leisure,
15 Aug. 2025
Noun
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His reactions, his resilience, hunger, ambition and courage impressed amid the acrimony of defeat after defeat.—
Andy Mitten,
New York Times,
13 Aug. 2025
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Your skills, your experience, and your courage have never been more essential.—
Dan Gooding,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Aug. 2025
Verb
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To squeeze all this into exactly 100 days between Wrexham staging a promotion party after last season had ended and Tuesday’s cup tie against Hull is impressive.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
New York Times,
15 Aug. 2025
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Ewers was impressive finding A.J. Henning on one throw and squeezed a pass into a tight window to running back Ollie Gordon II.—
David Furones,
Sun Sentinel,
15 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The nearby fire department rushed by boat to the crash site and were assisted by a private tug boat that helped douse the fire that belched black smoke from the barge, said Alton Deputy Fire Chief Matt Fischer.—
Jesse Bedayn,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Aug. 2025
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Most exoplanetary discoveries instead arise through far more indirect means, such as the dip in a star’s light caused by a world passing between its sun and our telescope or the tiny wobbling of a star caused by an orbiting planet’s gravitational tug.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
7 Aug. 2025
Noun
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In a tournament that tested grit, teamwork, and championship resolve, D’Tigress once again stood tall.—
Sindiswa Mabunda,
Forbes.com,
5 Aug. 2025
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The menu showcases the best local seafood with several menu items including the tuna, shrimp and grits, and fish special all utilizing regional catch.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
5 Aug. 2025
Verb
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As for the number of people stung, the beach patrol doesn’t have numbers.—
Todd Karpovich,
Baltimore Sun,
30 July 2025
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The other hallmark symptoms include swelling—especially around the lips, eyelids or extremities—and a burning or stinging sensation in affected areas.—
Elizabeth Yuko,
Flow Space,
23 July 2025
Noun
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Running on a level surface (in supportive shoes—see above!) can serve as plenty a cardio workout without the extra yank on your plantar fascia.—
Erica Sloan,
SELF,
20 June 2025
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Four yanks later, voila: Clayton had pulled free his prize, leaving just a single strand of nylon stuck in the Alamodome rim.—
Brendan Marks,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2025
Noun
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All the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune and fortitude were there in full technicolor.—
Tim Ellis,
Forbes.com,
4 Aug. 2025
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Social work staff, colleagues and friends have visited him at the hospital routinely, and he and his work have been recognized across UT for his fortitude and kindness.—
Lily Kepner,
Austin American Statesman,
30 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pluck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pluck. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.
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