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
Denver’s plucky underdogs were on the verge of seizing a 3-1 lead over a 68-win Death Star, until their comparative lack of depth emerged as a decisive factor.
—
Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 12 May 2025
The literary mainstream has always been shaped (for both better and worse) by intermediary institutions like university creative-writing programs, plucky little journals, and newspaper book reviews.
—Peter C. Baker, New Yorker, 11 May 2025
There actually is something at stake for these women, which frees them up for a desperate kind of humor, in the vein of those plucky social climbers in a screwball comedy from an earlier era.
—Alissa Wilkinson, New York Times, 1 May 2025
Set in a fictional, secluded land of mountains and lakes, Ochi follows a plucky teen named Yuri (played by Helena Zengel), who’s been raised by her father to fear and hunt the reclusive little beasties called ochi.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for plucky
Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 12 May 2025
The literary mainstream has always been shaped (for both better and worse) by intermediary institutions like university creative-writing programs, plucky little journals, and newspaper book reviews.
—Peter C. Baker, New Yorker, 11 May 2025
There actually is something at stake for these women, which frees them up for a desperate kind of humor, in the vein of those plucky social climbers in a screwball comedy from an earlier era.
—Alissa Wilkinson, New York Times, 1 May 2025
Set in a fictional, secluded land of mountains and lakes, Ochi follows a plucky teen named Yuri (played by Helena Zengel), who’s been raised by her father to fear and hunt the reclusive little beasties called ochi.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for plucky
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plucky
Adjective
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Tielemans has mastered the balance, being brave in wanting the ball whatever the situation or stadium while never willingly giving ground to an opponent.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
30 May 2025
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Naturally, the truth does eventually come out at the reception, but Samantha still puts on a brave face for her friends.—
Megan McCluskey,
Time,
30 May 2025
Adjective
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In her courageous testimony, Ventura described the myriad means by which Combs achieved and maintained power and control over her during their decade-long relationship.—
Elizabeth Geddes,
Rolling Stone,
23 May 2025
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While there are many other ways to foster courageous leadership, these three are evergreen.—
Quang X. Pham,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2025
Adjective
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When senior Celina Frenz wasn’t dancing through defenders to create pressure, Kocher’s ability to find Meisner darting in from the left wing was the codebreaker against a valiant effort from Timnath.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
20 May 2025
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Panthers in an 0-2 hole in the series Despite a valiant effort once again in the third — putting up 37 shot attempts and 15 scoring chances (including 10 high-danger chances) — the Panthers fell 4-3 to the Maple Leafs and are now 0-2 in the best-of-7 series.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
8 May 2025
Adjective
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His passionate commitment to Christianity led to a compassionate attention to his fellow human beings, as well as a fearless urge to correct wrongdoing.—
Time,
Time,
27 May 2025
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Known for her nuanced performances and fearless role choices, Krieps will share insights into her artistic journey, the challenges of portraying complex characters, and her approach to storytelling across diverse cinematic landscapes.—
Christian Blauvelt,
IndieWire,
16 May 2025
Adjective
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The president is determined to get something done here.—
Alexandra Hutzler,
ABC News,
20 May 2025
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The conservative view Many conservatives are determined to repeal or at least delay and dilute most of the clean energy breaks.—
David Lightman,
Sacbee.com,
20 May 2025
Adjective
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Each year, Scouts, Scouters, veterans and other community groups from all over the Bay Area gather in tribute to these gallant men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our country.—
Karl Mondon,
Mercury News,
25 May 2025
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Curiosity is an optimistic treasure hunt—a gallant search that occurs without proof or guarantee.—
Chip Bell,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2025
Adjective
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Armstrong is less resolute, however, when asked how much President Trump’s election to a second term affected his sense of urgency.—
Adam B. Vary,
Variety,
30 May 2025
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Xi’s government has portrayed itself as a resolute defender of the Chinese nation and mocked its opponent.—
Michael Schuman,
The Atlantic,
8 May 2025
Adjective
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Kimmel pushes back, referring to the heroic pilot, Sully Sullenberger, who inspired a Rehearsal episode this season.—
Hershal Pandya,
Vulture,
28 May 2025
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For a complete accounting of the heroic actions of the 24 recipients, please search for President Obama’s Valor 24 Medal of Honor ceremony remarks on the Army website.—
Richard J. Gonzales,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
24 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Plucky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plucky. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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