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

Junior left fielder Jordyn McBride tied it for the North Stars in the fourth when a pickoff throw bounced off her into left field. —Rick Armstrong, Chicago Tribune, 7 May 2026

Evans settled in from there, giving up just one hit over the next four innings — a Ben Slanker single in the second that was erased on a pickoff — and at one point retired 11 consecutive hitters before giving up two more runs in the sixth. —Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 7 May 2026

Verb

Then Alex Caruso picked off a poor pass by Smart on the following possession, and Holmgren drew a foul at the other end. —Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 8 May 2026

Neto ended an 0-for-23 slump with a third-inning single before getting picked off. —Los Angeles Times, 6 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