as in brave
informal
having or showing a lot of courage or determination
A plucky young man who never gave up on his dream.
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Recent Examples of plucky
But where these artists possess a commanding confidence, Moales often sounds plucky, as if thrust forward to sing with her eyes shut tight at the world’s most eclectic karaoke night.
—
Lily Goldberg, Pitchfork, 8 Apr. 2026
Similarly, Devon isn't a retread of other plucky Jedi leads.
—Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 6 Apr. 2026
The plucky kid who seemingly had a fast-track job and a beyond-dreams wife is now desperately snorting it all away.
—Duane Byrge, HollywoodReporter, 1 Apr. 2026
Bachata played faintly, with plucky notes from the guitar cutting through cows' grunts.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for plucky
Lily Goldberg, Pitchfork, 8 Apr. 2026
Similarly, Devon isn't a retread of other plucky Jedi leads.
—Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 6 Apr. 2026
The plucky kid who seemingly had a fast-track job and a beyond-dreams wife is now desperately snorting it all away.
—Duane Byrge, HollywoodReporter, 1 Apr. 2026
Bachata played faintly, with plucky notes from the guitar cutting through cows' grunts.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for plucky
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plucky
Adjective
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The forty-niners are elemental to our identity as a nation of brave, rugged individualists.—
Jennifer Wilson,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
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Her and Alexander's relationship, his crimes and her brave investigative work are all unpeeled in the new docuseries, which hit Netflix on April 29.—
Jessica Sager,
PEOPLE,
3 May 2026
Adjective
-
Many parents are afraid to go on the record against a school or coach for fear of retribution against their son or daughter, so for a teenager to go out on the limb and put himself up to possible ridicule was both stunning and courageous.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
6 May 2026
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However, thanks to the efforts of courageous youth advocates, there is hope in safeguarding youth health.—
Jad Abdel Nour,
Hartford Courant,
4 May 2026
Adjective
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The Oklahoma City Thunder overcame another valiant Lakers charge Thursday night to win their second game in two tries in the Western Conference semifinals at Paycom Center.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2026
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Embiid’s injury status still looms after valiant efforts from his reserve teammates.—
Fiifi Frimpong,
New York Daily News,
7 May 2026
Adjective
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McDaniels, who cut through the Nuggets’ egos early in the series with fearless words and a smug grin, got the last laugh.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
1 May 2026
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Her most consistent trait as an actor is making fearless choices, no matter the material.—
Chris Feil,
Vulture,
1 May 2026
Adjective
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Church went to the Holy Land in search of sublimity; Twain fastened on the absurdities of those determined to find it.—
Sebastian Smee,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
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The dog was also determined to be OK.—
Riley Rourke,
CBS News,
2 May 2026
Adjective
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But the Ballances were more than gallant warriors – in fact, a life-size oil painting of Marti’s great-grandfather Charles Ballance’s wife and children – including her grandfather Willis as a 3-year-old – hangs in a place of honor at the Illinois State Museum in Springfield.—
Denise Crosby,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
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And Texas made a gallant comeback to tie the game at 77-77 when Pope coolly sank three consecutive free throws after getting fouled behind the arc with 3.8 seconds remaining.—
Kirk Bohls,
Houston Chronicle,
8 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Pichai’s lieutenants hold up his resolute focus on serving the user as an unequivocal good.—
Andrew R. Chow,
Time,
6 May 2026
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The goal and Joao Pedro’s ping off the inside of Lucas Perri’s near post were the concerns, but beyond that, United were resolute at the back, but unable to muster anything of their own.—
Beren Cross,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Finn He's given a face to cannon-fodder Stormtroopers, plus has a penchant for flirting and a heroic streak.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
3 May 2026
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The statue is positioned in Waterloo Place, near heroic statues of King Edward VII and Florence Nightengale.—
Anastasia Tsioulcas,
NPR,
2 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Plucky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plucky. Accessed 10 May. 2026.
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