pick-six

noun

ˈpik-ˈsiks 

1

: a system of betting (as on horse races) in which the bettor must pick the winners of six consecutive races

… is one of 42 individuals holding the 78 tickets that legitimately had five out of six winners in the Breeders' Cup pick-six wager.

—Bill Finley

2

American football : an interception returned by the intercepting team for a touchdown

By halftime he had thrown two interceptions—the second a 69-yard pick-six to outside linebacker and Most Valuable Player Malcolm Smith …

—S. L. Price

Examples of pick-six in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Dragons had it in the first half, while DeSoto had it when things mattered in the second, with the help of an 85-yard pick-six. —Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Dec. 2025

Benford jumped in the air, secured the interception, and ran it all the way back for a 63-yard pick-six that gave Buffalo a 32-28 lead. —Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 7 Dec. 2025

Houston jumped a pass from Valley Christian quarterback Liam Sweeney and returned it 35 yards for the pick-six, helping the Patriots to take a 20-7 lead into the half. —Clark Fahrenthold, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Dec. 2025

Jackson’s pick-six buried that streak even further. —Charlotte Observer, 30 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1980, in the meaning defined at sense 1