picked off; picking off; picks off
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
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
Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 18 Apr. 2026
The Rays' Taylor Walls came around from first on a wild pickoff throw by Ramirez (2-1).
—CBS News, 18 Apr. 2026
Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 11 Apr. 2026
The most dramatic came in the first period, when Jimmy Snuggerud picked off DeMelo’s stretch pass and started an aggressive Blues counterattack.
—Murat Ates, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pickoff
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Noun
Warren attempted two pickoff plays to second; Garcia got safely back to the bag each time.
—Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 18 Apr. 2026
The Rays' Taylor Walls came around from first on a wild pickoff throw by Ramirez (2-1).
—CBS News, 18 Apr. 2026
Verb
Inspect your plants frequently and pick off caterpillars, dunking them in a bucket of soapy water.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 11 Apr. 2026
The most dramatic came in the first period, when Jimmy Snuggerud picked off DeMelo’s stretch pass and started an aggressive Blues counterattack.
—Murat Ates, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pickoff
Cite this Entry
“Pickoff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pickoff. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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