cherry-pick

verb

cher·​ry-pick ˈcher-ē-ˌpik 

cherry-picked; cherry-picking; cherry-picks

intransitive verb

: to select the best or most desirable

transitive verb

: to select as being the best or most desirable

also : to select the best or most desirable from

cherry-picked the art collection

Synonyms

• choose
• cull
• elect
• handpick
• name
• opt (for)
• pick
• prefer
• select
• single (out)
• tag
• take

Examples of cherry-pick in a Sentence

cherry-picked the spacious corner office for his corporate fief

Recent Examples on the Web

Clearly this particular operation was cherry-picked for propaganda purposes and shows a ‘best case’ outcome. —David Hambling, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025

Those who want to cherry-pick the deals before the crowds can enter early at 8 a.m. on Friday for $10. —Laura Daily and Bryan K. Chavez, Denver Post, 30 Apr. 2025

These operators — often lacking transparency — can cherry-pick students, exclude those with greater needs, and leave vulnerable kids behind. —Anne Tressler, Sun Sentinel, 14 Apr. 2025

Mid-major colleges will never keep their teams together and the big schools will cherry-pick the best players. —Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1965, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense