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handpick

verb
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hand·​pick | \ ˈhan(d)-ˈpik How to pronounce handpick (audio) \
handpicked; handpicking; handpicks

Definition of handpick

transitive verb

1 : to pick by hand as opposed to a machine process
2 : to select personally or for personal ends
Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More about handpick

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Examples of handpick in a Sentence

They run a farm where you can handpick fresh strawberries. a box of handpicked strawberries The executive handpicked her successor.
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Recent Examples on the Web Go out at night with a flashlight or head lamp and handpick them. — oregonlive, "Fall’s the time to control slugs as they lay eggs for next year," 15 Oct. 2020 From there, Fetman works alongside the current Bachelorette to handpick each of the looks featured in their respective seasons. — Eliza Huber, refinery29.com, "Does The Bachelorette Pay For Her Own Clothes?," 13 Oct. 2020 Megan Hodges is founder of The Dowry, a website that includes more than 50 Dallas-Fort Worth artists and businesses so brides can handpick and curate their registry. — Ashton Nichols, Dallas News, "Weddings in the COVID-19 era? They’re happening but with compromises," 30 July 2020 René Dreyfus, the champion driver Schell handpicked for the job, had been expressly chosen to poke the Fuhrer, too. — Neal Bascomb, Car and Driver, "The Pioneering Rally Driver Who Beat the Nazis," 31 May 2020 One of the app's best-selling activities is an appropriate one: Share your breakup story at a bar in Taipei, Taiwan, and have a DJ handpick a song for you (for about $17). — David Oliver, USA TODAY, "'Travel is the best remedy': Heal your broken heart on a breakup trip," 28 Feb. 2020 The foundation has hosted workshops and summits and has nurtured a group of social entrepreneurs and scholars handpicked for a program at the University of Chicago. — Lolly Bowean, chicagotribune.com, "Fate of Obama Presidential Center could be determined by outcome of Tuesday hearing," 10 June 2019 By handpicking the new projects’ suppliers and builders, Mr. Putin is compensating loyal oligarchs who have been blacklisted by the U.S. Treasury or who may be hit by a new round of Western sanctions expected before the end of the year. — Anatoly Kurmanaev, WSJ, "U.S. Sanctions Bring Kremlin, Russian Oligarchs Closer Together," 29 Nov. 2018 In California handpicks the most relevant, useful stories from across USA TODAY Network newsrooms and beyond. — Arlene Martinez, USA TODAY, "In California: Coronavirus could hit half the state, governor says," 20 Mar. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'handpick.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of handpick

1831, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Time Traveler for handpick

Time Traveler

The first known use of handpick was in 1831

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Cite this Entry

“Handpick.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/handpick. Accessed 28 Jan. 2021.

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More Definitions for handpick

handpick

verb
How to pronounce handpick (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of handpick

: to pick (something, such as a fruit) by using your hand
: to choose (something or someone) carefully by yourself instead of letting someone else do it

See the full definition for handpick in the English Language Learners Dictionary

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More from Merriam-Webster on handpick

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for handpick

Nglish: Translation of handpick for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of handpick for Arabic Speakers

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