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
PCMAG, 27 Jan. 2025
So when her bogus application is accepted into NASA’s super competitive astronaut training program, Rex needs luck and plenty of pluck to avoid elimination.
—Stephen Schaefer, Boston Herald, 2 July 2024
Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 May 2025
On Wednesday, May 14, a Czech climber was plucked off the mountain by a helicopter using a long-line winch system.
—Ben Ayers, Outside Online, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for pluck
Noun
The opening acoustic guitar plucks get reasonable low-mid resonance and sound reasonably full while conveying string texture in the higher frequencies.
—PCMAG, 27 Jan. 2025
So when her bogus application is accepted into NASA’s super competitive astronaut training program, Rex needs luck and plenty of pluck to avoid elimination.
—Stephen Schaefer, Boston Herald, 2 July 2024
Verb
Cardwell is the eighth player the Aztecs have plucked from the portal in recent weeks.
—Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 May 2025
On Wednesday, May 14, a Czech climber was plucked off the mountain by a helicopter using a long-line winch system.
—Ben Ayers, Outside Online, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for pluck
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pluck
Noun
-
There is a magnetic pull from Portugal to United, and Amorim’s move to Manchester strengthened that connection.—
Charlotte Harpur,
New York Times,
22 May 2025
-
Use it to review pull requests, write unit tests, generate UI variations or polish copy.—
Kunal Abichandani,
Forbes.com,
21 May 2025
Noun
-
Israel urgently needs new, sober leadership with clear realistic vision and self-confidence—leadership capable of reading our people's soul, understanding partners' and rivals' minds, and above all, having courage to make decisions and power to implement them.—
Ehud Barak,
Time,
2 June 2025
-
That vision inspired the recent launch of Courage for Cam, a nonprofit dedicated to spreading hope, love, and courage to children facing pediatric cancer.—
Jordan Greene,
People.com,
2 June 2025
Verb
-
Umberto Rispoli squeezed between horses around the top of the stretch and then rode Journalism to a tremendous rally.—
Baltimore Sun staff,
Baltimore Sun,
24 May 2025
-
Martinez’s son squeezed the trigger five times, shooting Rivera to death and wounding two others, the detective wrote in the affidavit.—
Matthew Ormseth,
Los Angeles Times,
24 May 2025
Noun
-
The catchy, melodious songs are carefully curated to tug at heartstrings, with lyrics that reflect similar memories and moments in one’s life.—
Laura Sirikul,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2025
-
Netflix has won out in a tug of war for Richard Linklater‘s Breathless homage Nouvelle Vague after its Cannes Film Festival debut in the competition.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
26 May 2025
Noun
-
The companies that lead with grit, own their value and protect their core will be the ones that define the next decade — not just survive it.—
Emil Sayegh,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2025
-
Thankfully, the astonishing Deirdre O’Connell has brought Francis to life with vivacity, humor, and grit.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
28 May 2025
Verb
-
Its allure is rooted in seeing the celebrity guest melt beneath the weight of hot sauce: Shaq’s eyes stung red with tears, viscera gushed from O’Brien nose.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
27 May 2025
-
Recent history suggests that Republicans would take few lessons from even a stinging rebuke in the midterms.—
Chris Stirewalt,
The Hill,
23 May 2025
Noun
-
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
-
Each blade has a pull tab at the top of its cartridge; just give it a gentle yank to remove it.—
Jenny Berg,
Vogue,
20 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Sunderland’s Class of 2024-25, though, has fortitude built in.—
Philip Buckingham,
New York Times,
14 May 2025
-
His ethos and spirit pulsates throughout the idyllic interior and garden galleries, whisking New Yorkers and visitors away from the frenzy of daily routine, reminding us that art is essential, not extraneous, to our existence and fortitude.—
Natasha Gural,
Forbes.com,
13 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pluck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pluck. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.
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