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 promoter likes her pluck, and offers her a contract.
—Jocelyn Noveck, Boston Herald, 10 Nov. 2025
Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2026
But if Rick later plucks something from behind that rock at the fire, are others going to start poking around looking for stuff?
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Mar. 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 promoter likes her pluck, and offers her a contract.
—Jocelyn Noveck, Boston Herald, 10 Nov. 2025
Verb
His solution lay in James Hanson, a striker who had been plucked from non-League — and, as City fans used to love singing, his day job as a shelf-stacker at the Co-op supermarket — by then-manager Stuart McCall six and a half years earlier.
—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2026
But if Rick later plucks something from behind that rock at the fire, are others going to start poking around looking for stuff?
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pluck
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pluck
Noun
-
Love Story also does a great job of conveying the gravitational pull of the Kennedy family and the media circus that surrounded them.—
Claudia Williams,
Architectural Digest,
5 Mar. 2026
-
This pull-apart treat will add a pop of bright citrus flavor to your brunch spread.—
Mary Shannon Wells,
Southern Living,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
This is a chance to rewrite an old memory with compassion and quiet courage.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
10 Mar. 2026
-
The director, who wanted to tell an epic adventure where emotional courage was as powerful as magic, crafted this tale about identity, sisterhood and belonging, aimed at family audiences with strong crossover appeal for epic fantasy audiences, with strong female leads.—
Kevin Giraud,
Variety,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
This technical pivot would allow nations to squeeze every profitable drop from their own land with surgical precision, bypassing the geopolitical chaos of distant chokepoints and securing a future defined by Decentralized Techno-Resource Sovereignty.—
Siddharth Misra,
Fortune,
6 Mar. 2026
-
When residents are this squeezed, City Hall’s predictable response has been to charge us more.—
Bradley Schnell,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
If a public request tugs at private feelings, pause to check your boundaries, then accept only what supports family rhythms and true priorities.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
7 Mar. 2026
-
His latest work treasures motion in both its study of dance music that straddles the 20th and 21st centuries and its gentle tug away from pure pop.—
Craig Jenkins,
Vulture,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
By channeling talent and grit, Bhatia proved a deserving winner the galleries at Bay Hill could get behind.—
Edgar Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Conning off the bench, Harvey showed determination and grit with his hustle plays.—
Patrick Z. McGavin,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The institute and federal ocean officials say those appendages, called cerata, hold the stinging cells in a concentrated form, making the slug’s sting especially potent.—
Dante Motley,
Austin American Statesman,
11 Mar. 2026
-
If these stinging insects are nesting in your yard, look for the things that might be attracting wasps and learn how to keep them away.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Effectively, this turned the workspace into a yank buffer along with all your documents, and undoing any destructive editing operation thus became merely another cut and paste.—
Cameron Kaiser,
ArsTechnica,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Visitors to China will want to lighten their grip, while folks introducing themselves to Germans should know to stop after one firm downward yank.—
Chris Ciolli,
AFAR Media,
15 July 2025
Noun
-
If winning is the only goal, then war is, by profound inference, a game, a test of masculine fortitude.—
Casey Ryan Kelly,
The Conversation,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Minutes later, that had ballooned to a 24-2 avalanche, with UNC completely buried — like almost every Duke opponent the last month — by the Blue Devils’ length and defensive fortitude.—
Brendan Marks,
New York Times,
8 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pluck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pluck. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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