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
Miami plucked a top prospect out of North Miami Beach on Sunday evening.
—
Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 14 June 2026
The charming restaurant serves hyper-local cuisine, with many ingredients plucked straight from the gardens.
—Lindsay Cohn, Travel + Leisure, 13 June 2026
Elsewhere on the ruby red carpet, Greta Lee paid homage to beloved cowgirl, Jessie, brought to life by Joan Cusack in all five films, wearing a red and white spherical, one-shoulder gown plucked straight from the Christian Dior spring 2026 couture runway.
—Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 10 June 2026
Either way, what ancient musicians realized is that changing the length of a string also changed its vibration when plucked, which in turn changed the musical pitch.
—Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 10 June 2026
That still left a lot of the two-time league champion’s star power exposed to be plucked by the four new teams looking to fill rosters.
—Tom Carothers, Twin Cities, 7 June 2026
After the evil Skeletor (Jared Leto) snatches his parents, Adam is plucked out of Eternia and returns years later from the human world to assume his true identity as He-Man and save the planet.
—Matt Minton, Variety, 6 June 2026
Eastland survivor Libby Hruby told those assembled for the dedication of the marker on June 4, 1989, that she was plucked from the water by her sister.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 4 June 2026
In Maine, several voters said that the oysterman plucked from obscurity didn’t pass the smell test.
—Caroline McCaughey, Boston Herald, 4 June 2026
Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 14 June 2026
The charming restaurant serves hyper-local cuisine, with many ingredients plucked straight from the gardens.
—Lindsay Cohn, Travel + Leisure, 13 June 2026
Elsewhere on the ruby red carpet, Greta Lee paid homage to beloved cowgirl, Jessie, brought to life by Joan Cusack in all five films, wearing a red and white spherical, one-shoulder gown plucked straight from the Christian Dior spring 2026 couture runway.
—Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 10 June 2026
Either way, what ancient musicians realized is that changing the length of a string also changed its vibration when plucked, which in turn changed the musical pitch.
—Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 10 June 2026
That still left a lot of the two-time league champion’s star power exposed to be plucked by the four new teams looking to fill rosters.
—Tom Carothers, Twin Cities, 7 June 2026
After the evil Skeletor (Jared Leto) snatches his parents, Adam is plucked out of Eternia and returns years later from the human world to assume his true identity as He-Man and save the planet.
—Matt Minton, Variety, 6 June 2026
Eastland survivor Libby Hruby told those assembled for the dedication of the marker on June 4, 1989, that she was plucked from the water by her sister.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 4 June 2026
In Maine, several voters said that the oysterman plucked from obscurity didn’t pass the smell test.
—Caroline McCaughey, Boston Herald, 4 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plucked
Verb
-
As Pino sobbed, family members of Lucy Fernandez squeezed into the wood courtroom pews behind Adams while Pino’s supporters sat behind him.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
19 June 2026
-
Almost the entire population of Gaza, more than 2 million people, has been squeezed into vast, squalid tent cities dependent on international aid.—
Melanie Lidman,
Chicago Tribune,
19 June 2026
Verb
-
As bankers hustled behind closed doors to price the deal and reporters indicated a first price of as high as $175, SpaceX perp-traders on Hyperliquid were buying and selling futures as high as $180 around the opening bell and as low as $153 just before the first trade came in at $150.—
Oliver Renick,
CNBC,
15 June 2026
-
The apparent charade lasted more than a minute before Wittman removed the phone from his face and hustled ahead of the reporter, ignoring questions the whole time.—
Joseph Konig,
PEOPLE,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
Drivers stung by high gas prices have enjoyed some welcome relief over recent weeks, however, even as the impact of the Iran war continues to choke off oil supply.—
Max Zahn,
ABC News,
12 June 2026
-
The Rays stung with two outs again in the sixth.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
Hilton on Tuesday addressed the president’s unfounded but vociferous claims that Democrats have massively cheated in our recent election.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
-
People are robbed, assaulted and cheated.—
Armando Salguero OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
Messi stuck a boot back, corralled the ball, took a half-turn and fired a laser low and into the corner of the net past Zidane.—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
17 June 2026
-
Fans who bought parking passes got stuck in heavy traffic as the streets around the stadium were bumper-to-bumper by mid-afternoon.—
Michelle Kaufman,
Miami Herald,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
Now, Greg is screwed because, one week in, everyone is having a great time.—
Joe Kinsey OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
18 June 2026
-
No matter who ends up on the Iron Throne, the common people get screwed.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
Collins easily beat former football coach Derek Dooley, according to unofficial election results.—
Tia Mitchell,
AJC.com,
17 June 2026
-
The stance in 1966 let in North Korea, who famously beat Italy en route to the quarter-finals.—
Simon Hughes,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Plucked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plucked. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
