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.
Instead, just like the home deals we cherry-picked ahead of this year’s Memorial Day, many of the pieces have achieved virality on TikTok and received our own seal of approval after multiple rounds of testing. Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 2 July 2025 So while everyone else was laughing behind my back and cherry-picking easy assignments, my first five were mortuaries battling hepatitis outbreaks. Jim Dunn, Forbes.com, 2 July 2025 Many of his vetoes seemed to cherry-pick projects from longer lists. Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 July 2025 Apple can certainly afford to cherry-pick projects, choosing only to work with top directors and major stars on films that meet a certain criteria. Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 30 June 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 8 Jul. 2025.

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!