pluck
verb (used with object)
to pull off or out from the place of growth, as fruit, flowers, feathers, etc..
plucking
-
present participleof pluck.present participle
A verb form that is used in progressive verb constructions and may also function as a modifier or a gerund.
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.
As the waves bashed the coast this week, boulders smashed into the piles of Mitchell Leib’s Malibu home, plucking them like a “guitar string” and shaking his house.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
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
The company made headlines this week for plucking downed pilots out of peril, but its larger goal is to keep servicemembers out of harm’s way in the first place.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 2026
Scotland's third try was the pick of the bunch, with replacement Scott plucking Meryl Smith's pinpoint kick from the air and effortlessly stepping Kayleigh Powell to put daylight between the scores.
From BBC ● Apr. 11, 2026
Rain is coming down and plucking me on the head.
From "The Skin I'm In" by Sharon G. Flake
