cherry-pick

verb

cher·​ry-pick ˈcher-ē-ˌpik How to pronounce cherry-pick (audio)
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

Examples of cherry-pick in a Sentence

cherry-picked the spacious corner office for his corporate fief
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The group of climate scientists found several examples where the DOE authors cherry-picked or misrepresented climate science in the agency's report. Julia Simon, NPR, 2 Sep. 2025 Huntsinger and her programmers cherry-pick titles from Sundance, Berlin, and especially Cannes. Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 28 Aug. 2025 Their style is to highlight 5% out of all the film’s reviews, cherry-picking the ones that that are negative. Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 28 Aug. 2025 Among the most consequential changes was a move to support private teams and private coaches, rather than just those who had been cherry-picked by the federation. George Ramsay, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for cherry-pick

Word History

First Known Use

1965, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of cherry-pick was in 1965

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cherry-pick.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cherry-pick. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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