as in squeezing
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 plucking
As with the studio version, the track began with Lifeson plucking out a delicate intro on a nylon-string guitar before blasting into monster electric riffs.
—
Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 14 June 2026
Vogue’s beauty shopping editor Kiana Murden became a devotee after plucking it from the beauty closet and using it religiously.
—Jenny Berg, Vogue, 10 June 2026
Repeatedly plucking off leaves is simpler than using boiling water.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 June 2026
No plucking figures from the sky.
—Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 5 June 2026
The only thing that prevented a shutout was Ross Colton plucking in a rebound off Brent Burns’ sniper off Hart’s chest.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 23 May 2026
The Lightning historically have done a tremendous job plucking NHL talent from the middle rounds of the draft.
—Eduardo Encina, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 May 2026
Which is why Hailey Bieber’s bright white, electric G-Wagon is parked just feet away from the office bullpen, where 20-something staffers of the full-service production company are plucking away at their computers.
—Lucy Feldman, Time, 6 May 2026
Brawley hires football coach After a months-long search, Brawley High School has hired a football coach, plucking Rick Stewart away from Calipatria.
—John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Apr. 2026
Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 14 June 2026
Vogue’s beauty shopping editor Kiana Murden became a devotee after plucking it from the beauty closet and using it religiously.
—Jenny Berg, Vogue, 10 June 2026
Repeatedly plucking off leaves is simpler than using boiling water.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 June 2026
No plucking figures from the sky.
—Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 5 June 2026
The only thing that prevented a shutout was Ross Colton plucking in a rebound off Brent Burns’ sniper off Hart’s chest.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 23 May 2026
The Lightning historically have done a tremendous job plucking NHL talent from the middle rounds of the draft.
—Eduardo Encina, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 May 2026
Which is why Hailey Bieber’s bright white, electric G-Wagon is parked just feet away from the office bullpen, where 20-something staffers of the full-service production company are plucking away at their computers.
—Lucy Feldman, Time, 6 May 2026
Brawley hires football coach After a months-long search, Brawley High School has hired a football coach, plucking Rick Stewart away from Calipatria.
—John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plucking
Verb
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Lightweight enough to toss into a carry-on, these slippers still have a durable sole, meaning quick trips to the airplane bathroom or hotel hallway don’t require squeezing back into shoes.—
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
11 June 2026
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From cutting to squeezing to gluing, this craft set is packed with items that can help prepare children for kindergarten.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
10 June 2026
Verb
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Ants, mosquitoes, ticks, termites, stinging insects, and house flies are the most common and costly summer pests.—
Sharon Wu,
USA Today,
16 June 2026
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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,
6 June 2026
Verb
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Sweeney’s character, Cassie Howard, ends the final episode still hustling, despite the violent death of her husband Nate (Jacob Elordi), the passing of her high school friend Rue (Zendaya), and the dismantling of her OnlyFans account.—
Rebecca Ford,
Vanity Fair,
9 June 2026
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In 2025, Port Authority police issued 2,874 summonses for taxi hustling at both LaGuardia and Kennedy airports.—
Evan Simko-Bednarski,
New York Daily News,
9 June 2026
Verb
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Here, Ruhian diversifies his skill set, killing people at a distance with a bow and arrow, which feels like cheating.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
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But Mike Amante, a technology teacher in New Hartford, New York, said the training equipped him to show skeptics how AI could be beneficial to learning — not just for cheating.—
Tyler Kingkade,
NBC news,
9 June 2026
Verb
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Other alleged nonconsensual behavior cited in the documents included locking the door of his office and sticking his hand in her pocket.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
9 June 2026
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The suspect sped through the 10 Freeway eastbound at around 100 mph while sticking close to the center divider.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
4 June 2026
Verb
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Kane looked laboured and lost at Euro 2024 but England should be getting the best version of him in the coming weeks, which gives them a chance of beating any opponent.—
Jack Pitt-Brooke,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
-
Renard led the team in the 2022 World Cup, famously beating Argentina 2-1 in the group stage.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
16 June 2026
Verb
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At least Mercedes is reverting back to screwing things together rather than gluing things in a back-to-basics manufacturing push.—
Joel Feder,
The Drive,
11 June 2026
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Screwworm gets its name from the maggots’ habit of burrowing — or screwing — into a wound, according to the USDA.—
Jeffrey Collins,
Fortune,
9 June 2026
Verb
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Pop these strips on dry teeth while doing skincare or your makeup, and then brace yourself for a dazzling white outcome.—
Izzy Baskette,
People.com,
7 July 2025
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Al Hilal’s celebrations were ultimately short-lived, after Renato Gaucho’s Fluminense beat them 2-1 in the quarter-finals and in doing so became the only non-European team to make the last four of the tournament.—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
7 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Plucking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plucking. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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