as in squeezed
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
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of plucked
Over at Azur on Luminara, the menu reinvents itself every two days to mirror the port of call, like someone plucked the best taverna dishes off the coast and casually plated them in front of you.
—
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Feb. 2026
This is ideal for decades of sliding across the ice, because bigger mineral grains are more likely to get plucked out by the ice, leaving holes in the surface that could cause unpredictable behavior.
—Andrea Thompson, Scientific American, 10 Feb. 2026
Ultimately, helicopters plucked 70 people from the roof and the rushing water, narrowly avoiding fatalities.
—Brett Kelman, CBS News, 9 Feb. 2026
Quince Italian Wool Classic Single-breasted Coat This charcoal gray wool coat from Quince looks like it was plucked straight out of Lawrence’s enviable closet.
—Caroline Hughes, Travel + Leisure, 7 Feb. 2026
There’s also Liège waffles ($10), plucked from the Good Neighbor dessert menu, and playful milkshakes ($10) and smoothies ($11) that can be made boozy for an additional $6.
—Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 5 Feb. 2026
Dosunmu plucked the ball away after it was fumbled by Norman Powell, who crashed to the ground as Matas Buzelis blew past him.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 30 Jan. 2026
The 2009 drama was based on Michael Lewis’ 2006 book of the same name, which tracked the story of football star Michael Oher, who was plucked from homelessness and poverty when taken in by wealthy couple Leigh Anne Tuohy and Sean Tuohy.
—Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 27 Jan. 2026
In Figure 2, after the corn stalks are plucked, the cobs are separated and the chaff pulverized.
—Sabbir Rangwala, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Feb. 2026
This is ideal for decades of sliding across the ice, because bigger mineral grains are more likely to get plucked out by the ice, leaving holes in the surface that could cause unpredictable behavior.
—Andrea Thompson, Scientific American, 10 Feb. 2026
Ultimately, helicopters plucked 70 people from the roof and the rushing water, narrowly avoiding fatalities.
—Brett Kelman, CBS News, 9 Feb. 2026
Quince Italian Wool Classic Single-breasted Coat This charcoal gray wool coat from Quince looks like it was plucked straight out of Lawrence’s enviable closet.
—Caroline Hughes, Travel + Leisure, 7 Feb. 2026
There’s also Liège waffles ($10), plucked from the Good Neighbor dessert menu, and playful milkshakes ($10) and smoothies ($11) that can be made boozy for an additional $6.
—Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 5 Feb. 2026
Dosunmu plucked the ball away after it was fumbled by Norman Powell, who crashed to the ground as Matas Buzelis blew past him.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 30 Jan. 2026
The 2009 drama was based on Michael Lewis’ 2006 book of the same name, which tracked the story of football star Michael Oher, who was plucked from homelessness and poverty when taken in by wealthy couple Leigh Anne Tuohy and Sean Tuohy.
—Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 27 Jan. 2026
In Figure 2, after the corn stalks are plucked, the cobs are separated and the chaff pulverized.
—Sabbir Rangwala, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plucked
Verb
-
In an ecosystem squeezed by the brutal economics of streaming and the continuing struggles of the theatrical model, far too many worthy films go unsold and unseen.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Tens of billions of dollars in corporate loans are likely to default over the next year as companies, especially software and data services firms owned by private equity, get squeezed by the AI threat, Mish said in a Wednesday research note.—
Hugh Son,
CNBC,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
His attacker, the man in black, was hustled off the stage.—
Anderson Cooper,
CBS News,
9 Feb. 2026
-
As the lights came up, Taylor had already been hustled out, as had Arnaud.—
Eve Batey,
Vanity Fair,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The Cowboys have also reiterated that the loss of Jourdan Lewis stung them this season.—
Joseph Hoyt,
Dallas Morning News,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Further down the supply chain, former Army Ranger Patrick Montgomery, who runs KC Cattle Company, located outside Kansas City, Missouri, has been stung by high prices.—
Enda Curran,
Fortune,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
To sum up the series finale’s key moments, in the college timeline, Bree (Cat Missal), in a rage of anger after finding out that Lucy (Grace Van Patten) was the person Evan (Branden Cook) had cheated with, releases the tape of Lucy admitting to lying about being raped.—
Emily Longeretta,
Variety,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Ustyugov was also a part of the Russian relay team that won the gold medal in the Sochi Olympics in 2014 and was found to have cheated ahead of that season as well.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Like that film and the rest of her oeuvre, her latest is another tender tale of a protagonist stuck between two worlds, a hallmark motif fitting for a director who splits her time between documentary and fiction filmmaking.—
Lé Baltar,
IndieWire,
17 Feb. 2026
-
The rescue took place in the area of Branford Point where crews responded on the report of a goose possibly in distress and stuck in the ice, according to the Branford Professional Firefighters IAFF 2533.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Was Tony Kiritsis really screwed out of a legitimate business deal?—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Basically, our government helped the rich get richer while working families got screwed.—
Ana María Archila,
New York Daily News,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Liam Gagne recorded 24 saves and Billerica rallied from a two-goal deficit to beat Milton 3-2 in the first round of the Irish American Shootout.—
Kristina Banahan,
Boston Herald,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Skincare delivered €551 million in sales and represented 11% of the group’s full-year revenue, beating market expectations.—
Hikmat Mohammed,
Vogue,
18 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Plucked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plucked. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
