plunk down

verb

plunked down or plonked down; plunking down or plonking down; plunks down

intransitive verb

: to drop abruptly : settle into position

transitive verb

1
a
: to put down usually firmly or abruptly
plunked the items down on the counter
b
: to settle (oneself) into position
plunked himself down on the bench
2
: to pay out
reluctant to plunk down the money for a new car

Examples of plunk down in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web One reason for the shift, analysts say, is that many buyers who are willing to plunk down nearly $50,000 for a new vehicle had already done so in the past few years. Tom Krisher, The Denver Post, 22 Oct. 2024 With Biggest ‘Supermoon’ Of 2024 But the literal fortunes of OPM companies turned so dire so quickly that, not three years later, 2U, the company that plunked down $800 million for a whimsy acquisition, filed for bankruptcy. Derek Newton, Forbes, 17 Oct. 2024 When a few coins plunked down Lily shrieked, Ione stared, surprised, and then raised her arms and cheered as well. Charles Bock, People.com, 6 Oct. 2024 Like most jewelers, including LVMH’s Tiffany, Signet was slow to embrace online sales, believing that many consumers wanted to see an item in person before plunking down a lot of money. Byphil Wahba, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for plunk down 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'plunk down.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1891, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of plunk down was in 1891

Dictionary Entries Near plunk down

Cite this Entry

“Plunk down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plunk%20down. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on plunk down

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!