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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of plucky
Now 46, the singer draws inspiration from the music that inspired her, name-checking Prince and the Gap Band, for a spate of upbeat tunes dotted by glittery synths, pummeling 808s and plucky bass notes.
—
Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 19 May 2026
Her plucky little sister Isabelle (Ciara Bravo) has been Jill’s best friend forever, their bond unbreakable by even death itself.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 19 May 2026
A lot has changed since Koepp was the plucky new kid on the backlot.
—Darryn King, Vanity Fair, 19 May 2026
In the show, Jules (Julia Sarah Stone) is the plucky non-binary sibling of John Logan (Antonio Cipriano).
—Jennifer McClellan, USA Today, 17 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for plucky
Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 19 May 2026
Her plucky little sister Isabelle (Ciara Bravo) has been Jill’s best friend forever, their bond unbreakable by even death itself.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 19 May 2026
A lot has changed since Koepp was the plucky new kid on the backlot.
—Darryn King, Vanity Fair, 19 May 2026
In the show, Jules (Julia Sarah Stone) is the plucky non-binary sibling of John Logan (Antonio Cipriano).
—Jennifer McClellan, USA Today, 17 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for plucky
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plucky
Adjective
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As the players linked arms as one by one — five of them were brave enough to take on the enormous pressure of these penalties — in the shadows was the 2-1 defeat by Barcelona in their only other Champions League final twenty years ago.—
Amy Lawrence,
New York Times,
31 May 2026
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Two years later, Simon Porte Jacquemus, the prodigy from Provence, had models brave a shower of gently falling straw in giant hats made of the same material at his spring 2023 show.—
Irene Kim,
Vogue,
30 May 2026
Adjective
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Perkin described his wife as inventive and courageous in her art.—
Julie Gallant,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
3 June 2026
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Nearly four decades later, as cuts to HIV prevention and treatment programs threaten to unravel years of progress, Earle’s story remains a testament to the power of courageous action.—
Christina Ray Stanton,
Time,
2 June 2026
Adjective
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Diamondbacks center fielder Jorge Barrosa made a valiant diving effort to catch the ball, and Adames would’ve easily been doubled off had Barrosa caught it.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
27 May 2026
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Busch, who tragically died at 41 on Thursday from an undetermined illness, turned in a valiant effort in 2014, finishing sixth in the Indy 500 despite having limited experience in IndyCar.—
Steve Henson,
Los Angeles Times,
22 May 2026
Adjective
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Until next time, may your tax planning be fearless, your records be clean, and your surprises come with confetti instead of correspondence from the IRS.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2026
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Yet, even in a league of great talents, Johnson stood out — thanks to his seemingly effortless and fearless creativity.—
Jim Harrington,
Mercury News,
27 May 2026
Adjective
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None of those cases involve passengers from the United States; one potential case was later determined to be negative following additional testing.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
31 May 2026
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Lee Hong-nae plays Yoon Dong-hyeon, the stubborn and hot-headed military chef who is determined to get out as soon as his military service is up.—
Laura Sirikul,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2026
Adjective
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James and his teammates gave a gallant effort Saturday night at Crypto.com Arena, but the defending champion proved to be more than the Lakers could handle.—
Broderick Turner,
Los Angeles Times,
10 May 2026
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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
Adjective
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Forced to confront this web of lies, Kanan faced an existential crisis of self-discovery and emerged stronger and more resolute than ever.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
19 May 2026
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And Chinese media highlighted Beijing’s resolute stance on American priorities — from trade to the Iran war — as evidence of Chinese confidence and American decline.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
17 May 2026
Adjective
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Follow-through depends on heroic leaders chasing people manually.—
Brent Gleeson,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
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In real life, the comedy star used both his rebellious and heroic sides for noble purposes.—
Skyler Trepel,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Plucky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plucky. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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