pick out

verb

picked out; picking out; picks out

transitive verb

1

: discern, make out

2

: to play the notes of by ear or one by one

picking out tunes on the piano

Examples of pick out in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Police say after entering the store, Tabor allegedly randomly picked out a woman and started choking her. —Joy Benedict, CBS News, 19 June 2026

Feagin, a 6-3 forward, was a Sparks 2025 second-round draft pick out of South Carolina. —John W. Davis, Oc Register, 19 June 2026

That’s the only explicable reason for Australians to be riled up by comments from a guy most American fans can’t pick out of a lineup, whose most productive season came for a club literally named the Rough Riders. —Ian Nicholas Quillen, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026

On our recent trip to Arizona, my 12-year-old son lingered in the Grand Canyon gift shop near the stickers, smirked at me, and picked out two of his favorites. —Jaclyn Greenberg, Parents, 18 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1540, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for pick out

• about
• bailout
• blackout
• blowout
• breakout
• burnout
• buyout
• checkout
• closeout
• cutout
• devout
• dropout

Kids Definition

pick out

verb

1

: to see or detect with some difficulty

picked out the trail in the snow

2

: to play the notes of by ear or one by one

pick out a tune