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
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Recent Examples of plucked
Many of the items for the set were quite literally plucked from her residence ahead of her Saturday Night Live performance at the end of last year.
—
Angela Tafoya, Architectural Digest, 29 May 2026
Etna, a battle-scarred but kindhearted shepherd mix who was plucked from his home on the eve of an unspecified conflict in an unnamed country, has grown weary of war’s brutalities and longs to return to the coastal farm of his puppyhood.
—Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 26 May 2026
Lots of stories waiting to be told in this era, some of which could be plucked from the many books written after the original trilogy came out.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026
The aftermath of one of Otto’s decisions gives Beever as Léna some rich material to work through, but strands Machado-Graner to an extent, including in a short subplot that feels like it was plucked from an entirely different screenplay.
—Josh Slater-Williams, IndieWire, 20 May 2026
Pamela Anderson’s progression from over-plucked and busty to fresh-faced and gracefully aging on the red carpet is evidence of culture’s exhaustion with excess.
—Sarah Wang, PEOPLE, 16 May 2026
On screen, that depth is anchored by Williams and Storrie, actors plucked from restaurant-server obscurity.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 15 May 2026
And wow, how juicy that fruit is, plucked straight from the plant and carved by Balala with a machete.
—Laura Dannen Redman, Robb Report, 14 May 2026
The character seems not so much drawn from experience as plucked from a vat of pulp cliché.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 14 May 2026
Angela Tafoya, Architectural Digest, 29 May 2026
Etna, a battle-scarred but kindhearted shepherd mix who was plucked from his home on the eve of an unspecified conflict in an unnamed country, has grown weary of war’s brutalities and longs to return to the coastal farm of his puppyhood.
—Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 26 May 2026
Lots of stories waiting to be told in this era, some of which could be plucked from the many books written after the original trilogy came out.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026
The aftermath of one of Otto’s decisions gives Beever as Léna some rich material to work through, but strands Machado-Graner to an extent, including in a short subplot that feels like it was plucked from an entirely different screenplay.
—Josh Slater-Williams, IndieWire, 20 May 2026
Pamela Anderson’s progression from over-plucked and busty to fresh-faced and gracefully aging on the red carpet is evidence of culture’s exhaustion with excess.
—Sarah Wang, PEOPLE, 16 May 2026
On screen, that depth is anchored by Williams and Storrie, actors plucked from restaurant-server obscurity.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 15 May 2026
And wow, how juicy that fruit is, plucked straight from the plant and carved by Balala with a machete.
—Laura Dannen Redman, Robb Report, 14 May 2026
The character seems not so much drawn from experience as plucked from a vat of pulp cliché.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 14 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plucked
Verb
-
Freddie Freeman squeezed one inside the left-field foul pole in the first inning, his fourth home run in nine games (after hitting just one in the previous 35 games).—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
30 May 2026
-
The story of America’s lopsided home prices has often been pinned on the wealthy remote workers who squeezed home supply in the pandemic’s early days.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
Raised in a Hollywood household, with a TV writer dad and hitmaking songwriter sister, Todd skipped college, hustled on TikTok, signed to Columbia and toured with Omar Apollo.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
-
In a sense, bees went from wild foragers to shift workers, clocking in for bloom season as beekeepers hustled them from farm to farm.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 May 2026
Verb
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The keen scent of the fall breeze with its hint of snow now swept down the valley and stung our faces.—
Anton Money,
Outdoor Life,
4 June 2026
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Drivers stung by high gas prices have enjoyed some welcome relief over the last couple of weeks, even as the impact of the Iran war continues to choke off oil supply.—
Max Zahn,
ABC News,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
People are robbed, assaulted and cheated.—
Armando Salguero OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
8 June 2026
-
That does not prove every student cheated.—
Gerald Bradshaw,
Chicago Tribune,
8 June 2026
Verb
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Everyone can relate to a character waiting for a phone call, or a text, that feeling of being stuck in a purgatorial gap that won’t end until the other person has made contact.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 June 2026
-
Outside the arena, reactions were mixed after Trump waved through his tinted window to the crowds stuck behind the barricades across the street.—
Dan Adler,
Vanity Fair,
9 June 2026
Verb
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The same circadian system that morning sunlight activates can be reinforced or undermined by what’s screwed into your lamps for the next 14 hours.—
Allison Palmer
June 2,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
2 June 2026
-
Anybody who has too long a résumé is screwed.—
Aidan McLaughlin,
Vanity Fair,
21 May 2026
Verb
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The score was still 3-1 after 20 minutes, but Vegas defenseman Brayden McNabb beat Bussi with a shot from the circles that crossed the goal line a fraction of a second after the clock hit zero.—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
10 June 2026
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The Carolina Hurricanes have evened up the Stanley Cup Final once more thanks to Jordan Staal’s two-goal night in Las Vegas to beat the Golden Knights in Game 4, 5-3.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
10 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Plucked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plucked. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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