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
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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
Laurent Belsie, Christian Science Monitor, 19 May 2025
In Spanish, my grandmother read tales from Las Mil y Una Noches—in English, The Thousand and One Nights—bringing the world beyond Leigh Street, Scheherazade's magical world of Central Asian pluck, heroism and ingenuity, into the life of my mother and her siblings.
—Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 May 2025
Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 7 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, 6 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pluck
Noun
But Belvidere is roaring back because of its own pluck.
—Laurent Belsie, Christian Science Monitor, 19 May 2025
In Spanish, my grandmother read tales from Las Mil y Una Noches—in English, The Thousand and One Nights—bringing the world beyond Leigh Street, Scheherazade's magical world of Central Asian pluck, heroism and ingenuity, into the life of my mother and her siblings.
—Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 May 2025
Verb
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
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, 6 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pluck
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pluck
Noun
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Held at La Valle Coastal Club in Rancho Santa Fe, the festive event featured a steel drum band, tropical bites, silent auction, opportunity drawings, a wine pull, and stories from clients whose lives have been transformed by Pathways’ legal support, according to a news release.—
News Release,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 Oct. 2025
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Decker knows that Minnesota does not have the same pull as the school's longtime Big Ten rivals like Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State — or even the new ones like Oregon, Washington and USC.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
11 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Barry represents courage, compassion, and that quiet greatness that lies in helping others.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
14 Oct. 2025
-
Her courage, her authenticity, and her unwavering commitment to mental health advocacy will echo for generations.—
DeMicia Inman,
VIBE.com,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Freeman took rookie Chad Patrick deep for the first Dodgers run, and his teammates squeezed a second run out of Brewers closer Abner Uribe in the ninth.—
Andy McCullough,
New York Times,
14 Oct. 2025
-
Nara announced the cute name in a post on her Instagram showing little Fawnie curled up in soft blankets, along with a video clip squeezing her tiny hand.—
Sarah Scott,
Parents,
14 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The process feels more like a quick peel than a painful tug, leaving skin smooth in just minutes.—
Lily Wohlner,
Allure,
8 Oct. 2025
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Together, these breakthroughs promise a safe, compact, ready-to-use seaworthy fuel supply that can potentially fuel fishing fleets, coastal ferries, tug boats, and other harbour service vessels, reported Fuel Cell Works.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Murray-Boyles, Jamal Shead and Ja’Kobe Walter should be able to bring that grit to more starter-heavy lineups.—
Eric Koreen,
New York Times,
11 Oct. 2025
-
Mayfield is pumping confidence and grit into his team, and that could be a major reason why Shook has placed the Buccaneers passer over passing yards leader Matthew Stafford, and touchdown leader Jared Goff.—
James Brizuela,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The Chiefs have been on the wrong side of fourth-quarter closeness this year (0-3 after Monday night’s slippery loss, which had to sting).—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
10 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
Noun
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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
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Visitors to China will want to lighten their grip, while folks introducing themselves to Germans should know to stop after one firm downward yank.—
Chris Ciolli,
AFAR Media,
15 July 2025
Noun
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Red Mass is a Catholic Mass that celebrates the start of the judicial year and offers prayers for wisdom, counsel, and fortitude for judges, lawyers and public officials.—
Stephen Sorace,
FOXNews.com,
5 Oct. 2025
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So, how does a dancer build the stamina, endurance, and mental fortitude needed to push through a slew of performances?—
Ayana Underwood,
Outside,
3 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pluck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pluck. Accessed 15 Oct. 2025.
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