as in brave
informal
having or showing a lot of courage or determination
A plucky young man who never gave up on his dream.
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Recent Examples of plucky
But the club battled at the highest-elevation point in Major League Soccer, continuing to solidify a reputation as a plucky bunch.
—
Ryan Finley, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Apr. 2025
For a team that’s been knocking on the door as a plucky underdog over the past few years, acquiring Rantanen has given this team a game breaker at a totally different level than what previously existed in Texas.
—Thomas Drance, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2025
Once the hottest team in the league, the plucky Canadiens have now lost four straight, which is going to make their path to the postseason far more tricky.
—James Mirtle, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
There are plucky steamed chive dumplings with translucent skin, meatball-like shumai teeming with pork, chicken or shrimp, green tea sesame balls (each $1.50 apiece) with Wicked-green dough surrounding sweet black paste.
—Benjy Egel, Sacbee.com, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for plucky
Ryan Finley, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Apr. 2025
For a team that’s been knocking on the door as a plucky underdog over the past few years, acquiring Rantanen has given this team a game breaker at a totally different level than what previously existed in Texas.
—Thomas Drance, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2025
Once the hottest team in the league, the plucky Canadiens have now lost four straight, which is going to make their path to the postseason far more tricky.
—James Mirtle, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
There are plucky steamed chive dumplings with translucent skin, meatball-like shumai teeming with pork, chicken or shrimp, green tea sesame balls (each $1.50 apiece) with Wicked-green dough surrounding sweet black paste.
—Benjy Egel, Sacbee.com, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for plucky
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plucky
Adjective
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In the podcast, one of the things that struck both of us so much was this amazing, brave, vulnerable choice that the real Molly made to allow Nikki into that room to record her.—
Lexi Carson,
HollywoodReporter,
9 Apr. 2025
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The 19-year-old, who plays for the Kansas City Current, roamed about central midfield Tuesday night with Albert and distinguished herself with her brave defending and positioning, according to Hayes.—
Tamerra Griffin,
New York Times,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The doc observes students shaping and driving courageous forms of conversation among themselves and with their institutions.—
Lovia Gyarkye,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Apr. 2025
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John Lewis John Lewis, born in 1940 in Troy, Alabama, was a son of sharecroppers who became one of the most courageous and enduring voices of the Civil Rights Movement.—
Sughnen Yongo,
Forbes.com,
10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The Cybertruck is indeed a valiant effort in doing something new, and that’s not what most manufacturers dare to do.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
12 Apr. 2025
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In a valiant effort, Wanyonyi was able to hold off all three of these 1500-meter specialists.—
Katelyn Hutchison,
Forbes.com,
6 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Known for their fearless improvisation and genre-defying performances, the trio’s performance in a hall, on the grounds of a former convent, was a 45-minute, intense, non-stop wall of sound.—
Joanne Shurvell,
Forbes.com,
19 Apr. 2025
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The centerpiece is a visually stunning film set in outer space, with Zendaya as the fearless protagonist on an interstellar mission.—
Mecca Pryor,
Essence,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Nick, now focused on his role as the heir to his grandfather’s empire, and Noah, just beginning to build her own career, are determined to keep their distance, despite their undeniable attraction and the past that connects them.—
Veronica Villafañe,
Forbes.com,
15 Apr. 2025
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Is this morally corrupt crowd determined to ignore constitutional obligations rather than ever admit a mistake?—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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An elaborate ideology confers legitimacy upon the Kim family: according to the country’s founding myth, Kim Il Sung led a gallant band of guerilla fighters in the bitter winds of Manchuria to defeat the Japanese, liberate the Korean people, and establish the North Korean state.—
JENNIFER LIND,
Foreign Affairs,
25 Oct. 2010
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In stereotypical movies, the gallant hero saves the damsel through daring, dramatic action.—
Amanda Nguyen,
TIME,
3 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side In the big-screen adaptation of this true story, Sandra Bullock played Leigh Anne Tuohy, the resolute Southern mother who adopts teen Michael Oher.—
Zoey Lyttle,
People.com,
2 Mar. 2025
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Conscientiously addressing a national crisis of domestic abuse while also lunging for the heartstrings, the film is an uneven balance of grainy social realism and crowd-pleasing uplift, but Cruz’s resolute performance just about holds it together.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
17 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Miller suffered a traumatic brain injury during a mission gone wrong in 2006, and Mendoza aimed to help jog his memory by re-creating their heroic survival story.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
11 Apr. 2025
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The first of Rice’s heroic efforts came in the 58th minute, with the 26-year-old breaking the deadlock with a shot that whipped around the Real Madrid wall into the corner of the net.—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
8 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Plucky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plucky. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.
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