pluck
verb (used with object)
to pull off or out from the place of growth, as fruit, flowers, feathers, etc..
have been plucking
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present perfect progressiveof pluck.present perfect progressive
Used to describe an action that began in the past, has continued continuously, and is still in progress.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Rescue crews in helicopters have been plucking survivors from along the valleys ravaged in the tsunami-like flow of water and debris apparently unleashed by a glacier's collapse.
From Barron's ● Aug. 28, 2026
"We have been plucking and eating mushrooms for years. How could we know they could be poisoned?"
From BBC ● May 19, 2022
Rescue helicopters have been plucking survivors from rooftops.
From BBC ● Jul. 16, 2021
The gap has narrowed in recent years, however, as major law firms have been the branches from which corporations and banks and other large-scale entities have been plucking their increasingly-savvy GC’s.
From Forbes ● Sep. 8, 2014
Already," she complained, "hath she plucked lilies when she should have been plucking sparrows.
From The Coming of the King by Bernie Babcock
