plucking

verb

present participle of pluck
as in squeezing
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

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of plucking No plucking figures from the sky. — Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 5 June 2026 Repeatedly plucking off leaves is simpler than using boiling water. — Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 June 2026 The only thing that prevented a shutout was Ross Colton plucking in a rebound off Brent Burns’ sniper off Hart’s chest. — Troy Renck, Denver Post, 23 May 2026 The Lightning historically have done a tremendous job plucking NHL talent from the middle rounds of the draft. — Eduardo Encina, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 May 2026 Manuel Choqque glides through rows of potato blossoms, plucking and tossing purple petals into the air like confetti — just as four generations of his family did before him. — Antonia Mufarech, Bloomberg, 15 May 2026 As with the studio version, the track began with Lifeson plucking out a delicate intro on a nylon-string guitar before blasting into monster electric riffs. — Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 14 June 2026 Vogue’s beauty shopping editor Kiana Murden became a devotee after plucking it from the beauty closet and using it religiously. — Jenny Berg, Vogue, 10 June 2026 Which is why Hailey Bieber’s bright white, electric G-Wagon is parked just feet away from the office bullpen, where 20-something staffers of the full-service production company are plucking away at their computers. — Lucy Feldman, Time, 6 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plucking
  1. squeezing
  2. stinging
  3. hustling
  4. cheating
  5. sticking
  6. beating
  7. screwing
  8. doing
Verb
  • The same rules reshaping the car are squeezing the independent aftermarket out of the picture.
    — Sarwant Singh, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
  • Energy prices soared, squeezing Americans already frustrated by the high cost of living.
    — Paul Wiseman, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
Definition of squeezing
Verb
  • Significant stinging insect infestations like wasps and carpenter bees may also require a specialized plan that isn’t included in your general pest control service.
    — Alora Bopray, USA Today, 1 July 2026
  • These stinging insects are black with yellow or white bands and are bigger than bees and yellow jackets.
    — Michelle Mastro, Martha Stewart, 29 June 2026
Definition of stinging
Verb
  • Langford was injured during Friday’s game after hustling on a double.
    — Cal Phillips June 29, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 June 2026
  • Letting go of the idea that success requires hustling at all costs — and replacing it with goals that feel attainable — can help founders shift toward a more sustainable approach, one where progress doesn't come at the cost of their well-being.
    — Holly Eve, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026
Definition of hustling
Verb
  • And using what looks like a giant pile of gerbil food for half-day cooking projects just feels like cheating.
    — Noah Kaufman, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 July 2026
  • The chapters moved from crime rates to cheating teachers to drug dealers living with their mothers, linking unlikely variables with a kind of intellectual mischief that felt almost illicit.
    — Alexander Puutio, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
Definition of cheating
Verb
  • Perrineau is weary, if not quite as wrecked as the car sticking halfway out of the far wall.
    — Josh Wigler, HollywoodReporter, 6 July 2026
  • The banana leaf acts as a protective barrier, preventing the salmon from sticking or drying out during the slow roast.
    — Staff, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026
Definition of sticking
Verb
  • Switzerland topped Group B ahead of co-host Canada after beating Les Rouges 2-1 in its final group game, which came after an emphatic 4-1 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina and a 1-1 draw against Qatar in its opener.
    — Ben Church, CNN Money, 7 July 2026
  • The host won the opening match by an innings and 217 runs and needs only a draw to claim its first series win in the World Test Championship since beating Bangladesh in the Caribbean in 2022.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 7 July 2026
Definition of beating
Verb
  • The breeze was screwing with the sound system, and the temperature dropped abruptly.
    — Lily Goldberg, Pitchfork, 26 June 2026
  • America’s favorite sport is not football, or soccer, but screwing over sports fans, which is why FIFA should hold its World Cup in the United States permanently.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 June 2026
Definition of screwing
Verb
  • The young man was doing LeBron James’ silencer celebration after scoring a goal one moment and being tagged with soccer’s equivalent of a Flagrant 2 the next — because of how one moment was assessed on tape delay.
    — Mirjam Swanson, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026
  • The city’s police department will be doing safety checks in the area as well.
    — Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 July 2026
Definition of doing

Browse Nearby Words

pluckiness
plucking
plucks
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Cite this Entry

“Plucking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plucking. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of plucking for Spanish Speakers

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