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Glite Dictionary
to plunk for

to plunk for

8.5
To choose to support someone, often by voting
  • phrasal verb
  • Informal
translation icon : apoyar
  • After much deliberation, she finally plunked for the most experienced applicant.

Examples

  • Voters across the country plunked for the new candidate in large numbers.

  • I will plunk for the new candidate!

  • During the meeting, several members plunked for the proposal, while others remained undecided.

  • Many voters plunked for the reform bill.

  • Many citizens chose to plunk for the new proposal to increase funding for public schools.

  • The committee members decided to plunk for the candidate who promised to improve healthcare access.

  • After much debate, the board finally plunked for the initiative aimed at reducing carbon emissions.

Synonyms

to support
vsto plunk for
∞ 1.0

Give help to a person or idea

is narrower, focusing on choosing or public approval rather than help
to back
vsto plunk for
932 1.0

To support someone or something

is more about choosing and public approval in political contexts
to endorse
vsto plunk for
183 4.2

To publicly show support for a person or idea

is broader and can include private choices as well as public support
to plump
vsto plunk for
  • UK
1 7.4

To choose one thing or person from a group

is to pick or approve in political decision contexts
to plump for
vsto plunk for
  • UK
1 7.3

Choose someone or something after thinking about other options

is often a public approval used in political decision making
to indorse
vsto plunk for
  • Archaic
7.9

To show public support for someone or something

is the general choice or approval used in political contexts

Antonyms

to oppose
∞ 2.9

To be against something and try to stop it

How Supportive

to champion
64 4.2
to endorse
183 4.2
to plunk for
  • Informal
8.5
to vote
∞ 1.0
to favor
  • US
286 2.0

Surface Forms

plunk for infinitive
plunked for past
plunked for past participle
plunking for present participle
plunks for third person singular

Morphology

plunk + for

The verb 'plunk' is rare/slang and not semantically transparent here, and knowing 'for' (which signals support) is insufficient for a learner to infer the specialized sense 'to support/choose'. There is no clear compositional link between any common literal meaning of 'plunk' (e.g., to drop or make a plucking sound) and the idiomatic sense of backing someone, so a B1 learner would not reliably derive the meaning from the parts.

Etymology

The phrasal verb plunk for may come from the image of dropping money with a 'plunk' sound. You plunk coins down for someone to show support, so it now means 'to support or choose'.