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
Along the way, though, Dylan’s transformation from frisky, plucky folk upstart — a walking, talking, cap-wearing version of the Anthology of Folk Music collection everyone was discovering at the time — to master of his domain is heard in large and small ways.
—
David Browne, Rolling Stone, 26 Oct. 2025
The Bills are reeling, with two straight losses, and now face a plucky team in a hostile environment.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 25 Oct. 2025
Unlike a killer hiding in the woods, a guy who gets you in your dreams is literally impossible to hide from, and watching our plucky heroine Nancy (Heather Langenkamp) trying to resist sleep presents a new kind of awful torture.
—Gwen Ihnat, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Oct. 2025
The Lions will bounce back from a loss by covering the spread against the plucky Buccaneers, and the Colts are just better across the board right now than the Chargers.
—Vic Tafur, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for plucky
David Browne, Rolling Stone, 26 Oct. 2025
The Bills are reeling, with two straight losses, and now face a plucky team in a hostile environment.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 25 Oct. 2025
Unlike a killer hiding in the woods, a guy who gets you in your dreams is literally impossible to hide from, and watching our plucky heroine Nancy (Heather Langenkamp) trying to resist sleep presents a new kind of awful torture.
—Gwen Ihnat, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Oct. 2025
The Lions will bounce back from a loss by covering the spread against the plucky Buccaneers, and the Colts are just better across the board right now than the Chargers.
—Vic Tafur, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for plucky
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plucky
Adjective
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And that was a brave thing to do.—
Dan Morrison,
USA Today,
7 Nov. 2025
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In the Zootopia sequel directed by Jared Bush and Bryon Howard, brave rabbit cop Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) and her friend, the fox Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman), team up again to crack the most perilous and intricate case of their careers.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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But in Podnieks’ own country, he was celebrated and respected as a rare source of truth telling and courageous reporting on a world that was changing fast.—
Will Tizard,
Variety,
2 Nov. 2025
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What People Are Saying Thanks to the courageous survivors of Epstein's abuse, justice is coming to Andrew.—
Robert Alexander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Fans, of course, have repeatedly called for coach Mike McDaniel’s job in the past month yet a valiant victory over the Buffalo Bills appears to have staved off some detractors.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
10 Nov. 2025
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Journey with Marie and her valiant Nutcracker prince to the Land of the Sugar Plum Fairy to experience a classic story with distinctly local flair.—
Maggie Menderski,
Louisville Courier Journal,
21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Its height and solidity gave the sense of a play structure, the crossbar that loomed above the platform a climbing feature for the truly fearless, and the rope noose perfect for swinging and letting fly if only the gallows had been built over water.—
George Packer,
The Atlantic,
6 Nov. 2025
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The fearless work of Black activists who were murdered led to historic victories in Congress and the courts.—
Equal Justice Initiative,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Left in the dark Early in the pandemic, Florida was determined to keep a lid of secrecy on the spread of COVID-19 in long-term care facilities.—
Kevin G. Hall,
Miami Herald,
7 Nov. 2025
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In a landscape of fear and scarcity, where basic ingredients are nearly impossible to find, Lamia sets out on a determined journey throughout the big city in search of eggs, flour and sugar.—
Carole Horst,
Variety,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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And yet, welcoming that idea can shock the system because our popular conception of the American Revolution is so often encased in bloodless, gallant myth.—
Sarah Botstein,
The Atlantic,
8 Oct. 2025
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The experience of secession, of war, of industrial slaughter and gallant sacrifice, of Black soldiery and humanity all reforged Lincoln into a stronger alloy.—
Jack Sheehan
September 4,
Literary Hub,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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But Sarah remains resolute, Bert tamps down his desire to make a quick buck — for a while, at least — and the situation starts to draw national attention, thanks to the involvement of a white civil rights attorney and a Black reporter from up north.—
Joe Leydon,
Variety,
7 Nov. 2025
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Despite his anger, the woman remained confused but resolute.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Starting pitcher Ian Anderson, who has hardly been heard from at the major league level since his heroic postseason performance that October.—
Jackson Roberts,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Nov. 2025
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In episode 9, Dane will play Matthew, a heroic firefighter who struggles to share his ALS diagnosis with his family, according to a press release.—
Stephanie Sengwe,
PEOPLE,
9 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Plucky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plucky. Accessed 17 Nov. 2025.
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