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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of plucking
Considering Harner’s artistic growth spurt — the journey from plucking away off camera in high school to international touring came under half a decade — there is a lot for her fans to be happy about as well.
—
Jed Gottlieb, Boston Herald, 18 Oct. 2025
When not plucking away at a keyboard, Madison teaches yoga and mountain bikes with her two Australian shepherds, Cholla and Poppy, through Missoula's Rattlesnake Wilderness.
—Madison Dapcevich, Outside, 17 Oct. 2025
Helicopters have been plucking people off rooftops for rescue from flooding and structural damage.
—Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2025
With the Giants plucking concepts from Ole Miss’ offense, Dart’s comfort level was obvious.
—Dan Duggan, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
The row of homes in the Queen Anne style had emerged in an era when architects were starting to be seen as artists and were lauded for putting designs together like collagists, plucking chimneys from a medieval village and arches from a Roman coliseum.
—Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 7 Oct. 2025
Simply plucking young stars from viewers’ social-media feeds won’t radically alter or refresh SNL.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 1 Oct. 2025
Miami is plucking Wilson off the Saints practice squad, likely to fill Hill’s roster spot.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2025
The first challenge is to create a visually appealing monkey bread, which many in America will recognize as a circular loaf composed of smaller balls that can be easily torn off, much like monkeys plucking nits from one another.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2025
Jed Gottlieb, Boston Herald, 18 Oct. 2025
When not plucking away at a keyboard, Madison teaches yoga and mountain bikes with her two Australian shepherds, Cholla and Poppy, through Missoula's Rattlesnake Wilderness.
—Madison Dapcevich, Outside, 17 Oct. 2025
Helicopters have been plucking people off rooftops for rescue from flooding and structural damage.
—Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2025
With the Giants plucking concepts from Ole Miss’ offense, Dart’s comfort level was obvious.
—Dan Duggan, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
The row of homes in the Queen Anne style had emerged in an era when architects were starting to be seen as artists and were lauded for putting designs together like collagists, plucking chimneys from a medieval village and arches from a Roman coliseum.
—Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 7 Oct. 2025
Simply plucking young stars from viewers’ social-media feeds won’t radically alter or refresh SNL.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 1 Oct. 2025
Miami is plucking Wilson off the Saints practice squad, likely to fill Hill’s roster spot.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2025
The first challenge is to create a visually appealing monkey bread, which many in America will recognize as a circular loaf composed of smaller balls that can be easily torn off, much like monkeys plucking nits from one another.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plucking
Verb
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Down 38-14 early in the fourth quarter, Texas staged one of the college football season’s more improbable rallies Saturday, scoring 31 unanswered points and squeezing past Mississippi State 45-38 in overtime.—
Rowan Fisher-Shotton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Oct. 2025
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Haiti, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic’s steep terrain will force air upward, wringing out more moisture from the storm, just like squeezing a wet sponge, turning tropical humidity into torrents racing downhill.—
Chris Dolce,
CNN Money,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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On the other side, the investigative news site Mediapart, which first broke news of Sarkozy’s Libya link, and other progressive titles delivered stinging editorials on his conduct.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
24 Oct. 2025
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The production was plagued by hurricanes, tsunami warnings, stinging jellyfish and several injuries — including Costner, who almost died while riding out a storm stranded atop a mast after his safety line had snapped.—
Peter Kiefer,
HollywoodReporter,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The documents included disciplinary information and reportedly showed that Sherrill was barred from walking at her 1994 graduation after refusing to inform on classmates involved in a cheating scandal.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
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In backrooms, there was none of the surveillance tech that reputable casinos use to catch players cheating.—
Rob Wile,
NBC news,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The on-field swings were such a rarity that he was cheered on by Roberts, the Dodgers’ coaching staff and a handful of teammates and his walkup song (Michael Buble’s ‘Feeling Good’) blasted from the sound system briefly, sending photographers and cameramen hustling into action.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
16 Oct. 2025
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From rushing out of the office to get party-ready, or hustling through the airport and reuniting with loved ones, to finally arriving at a glamorous night out with friends, each scene conveys merriment and personal style set against the backdrop of New York City.—
Lisa Lockwood,
Footwear News,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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And the cozy Walker's Point restaurant — plus cooking school, plus event space — has been going strong since, sticking strong to its mission to support local farmers in every season.—
Rachel Bernhard,
jsonline.com,
22 Oct. 2025
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And yet, hiring a college coach to manage means sticking your neck out in a way that no top baseball executive ever has.—
Andrew Baggarly,
New York Times,
19 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Nikki Reich was scrolling through a story about a Milwaukee woman accused of beating her mother to death with a rock when a photo caught her eye.—
David Clarey,
jsonline.com,
27 Oct. 2025
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Oregon slips a spot after a methodical win against Wisconsin, while Ole Miss flips places with Miami after beating Oklahoma on the road.—
Scott Dochterman,
New York Times,
26 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Plumbing in an old house requires reaching into funny crevices and screwing things the right way.—
Matthew Hutson,
IEEE Spectrum,
22 Sep. 2025
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Put the stopper back in the sink before re-screwing the pivot nut, horizontal rod, and sliding your under sink items back into place.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Hi hi hello, how is everyone doing this lovely Sunday?—
Rosalind Bowling,
Nashville Tennessean,
26 Oct. 2025
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In Atlanta in 2018, young tight end Austin Hooper learned that Paulsen was also doing scouting reports on tight ends who were upcoming draft prospects for the staff and for his agent.—
Jourdan Rodrigue,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Plucking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plucking. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.
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