1
as in pull
the act or an instance of applying force on something so that it moves in the direction of the force
a quick pluck pulled the hair right out
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in courage
the strength of mind that enables a person to endure pain or hardship
it takes pluck to survive a crippling car accident and still go on to become successful
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to squeeze
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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pluck
Philip Elliott, Time, 26 Jan. 2026
The Warriors briefly showed some pluck in the first half against the Thunder.
—Ron Kroichick, San Francisco Chronicle, 2 Jan. 2026
Evan Grant, Dallas Morning News, 29 Mar. 2026
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, 28 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pluck
Noun
Trump is fond of Paxton’s pluck and Hunt’s ambition.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 26 Jan. 2026
The Warriors briefly showed some pluck in the first half against the Thunder.
—Ron Kroichick, San Francisco Chronicle, 2 Jan. 2026
Verb
From Gore, acquired for five prospects from Washington, to Brandon Nimmo, swapped for Marcus Semien, to Andrew McCutchen, plucked for a bag of beans, there were big contributions across the board from the newcomers.
—Evan Grant, Dallas Morning News, 29 Mar. 2026
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, 28 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pluck
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pluck
Noun
-
The crop’s pull extends to the highest levels of national politics — presidential hopefuls have made a point of visiting Meru to publicly declare their support for the trade, with pledges to open new markets, defend growers, and confront foreign bans.—
Joseph Maina,
semafor.com,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Events include the keg toss, car deadlift, harness pull, atlas stones, log clean and press and Viking press.—
Marla Jo Fisher,
Oc Register,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The farmworkers' rights movement has always been powered by courage, by people willing to endure, to speak out, to demand dignity in the face of injustice.—
Luzdelia Caballero,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
-
But if worthiness is measured by the courage to lead, the humility to listen, the wisdom to hold complexity and the sacred responsibility of walking with people through joy, loss and transformation, then women’s rabbinic leadership has already outgrown the narrow metrics of any centralized system.—
Rabba Sara Hurwitz,
Sun Sentinel,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
House rebels view the attempt to squeeze the SAVE America Act into reconciliation, a restrictive budget process that requires all language to have a direct fiscal impact, as capitulation and want to see the entire bill, including its mandates on voter ID and proof of citizenship, signed into law.—
David Sivak,
The Washington Examiner,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Priced at just £600, the 13-inch Neo squeezes many of the MacBook Air’s best features into a device that is far more affordable.—
The Week UK,
TheWeek,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Scheduling tugs, fuel barges, crane operators, drayage trucks and drivers is complex indeed.—
Edward Lotterman,
Twin Cities,
29 Mar. 2026
-
The tug of war is just starting.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Then men had the grit, the unfathomable grit, to claw back from a 19-point deficit to win one of the most dramatic games in the history of either team.—
Dom Amore,
Hartford Courant,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Lucky Strike is a visceral, emotionally resonant film that reminds us of the grit and ingenuity required to preserve our freedom.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Alcohol can be stinging and drying to the skin.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Anyone who is stung repeatedly or has trouble breathing should call 911.—
Rey Covarrubias Jr,
AZCentral.com,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Soy sauce, Maggi seasoning, daikon and shiitake mushroom yank pot roast into new territory.—
Scott Hocker,
TheWeek,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Effectively, this turned the workspace into a yank buffer along with all your documents, and undoing any destructive editing operation thus became merely another cut and paste.—
Cameron Kaiser,
ArsTechnica,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
His displays of extreme fortitude aren’t limited to the mountains.—
Namir Khaliq,
Big Think,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Neither the governor nor the Colorado Legislature have the political fortitude to genuinely face the problem and develop viable solutions to ease the burden of Colorado’s property taxes.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
28 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pluck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pluck. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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