pickoff

1 of 2

noun

pick·​off ˈpik-ˌȯf 

: a baseball play in which a base runner is picked off

pick off

2 of 2

verb

picked off; picking off; picks off

transitive verb

1

: to shoot or bring down especially one by one

2

: to put out (a base runner who is off base) with a quick throw (as from the pitcher or catcher)

3

: intercept

picked off a pass

Synonyms of pickoff

Verb

• intercept
• grab
• block

Examples of pickoff in a Sentence

Noun

He made a pickoff throw to third base.

Verb

picked off more passes than any other player in the division

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The Hurricanes initially trailed Troy (34-30) 2-0 after three innings, with the Trojans holding Miami to just one hit (a Jake Ogden leadoff single in the first erased by a pickoff attempt) through the opening frames. —Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 31 May 2026

Sam Antonacci singled with one out in the fourth, advanced to second on reliever Andrew Morris’ throwing error on a pickoff attempt and scored on a double by Murakami. —Lamond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 28 May 2026

Verb

Defensively, Alvarez caught a Troy runner stealing and picked off another runner. —Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 30 May 2026

Harriet died a few years before Leo, and then Leo passed, picking off enemy planes in a brief delirium. —Joe Soucheray, Twin Cities, 30 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1911, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1810, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for pickoff

• ashraf
• checkoff
• cutoff
• falloff
• handoff
• kickoff
• layoff
• liftoff
• markoff
• markov
• payoff
• playoff

Kids Definition

pick off

verb

1

: to shoot or bring down one by one or with a single shot

2

: to put out (a base runner who is off base) with a quick throw