pick out

verb

picked out; picking out; picks out

transitive verb

1
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Inspired by an unsolved robbery in Langley’s neighborhood, the trio started work on the first Flock prototype, an Android phone camera in a waterproof box that took pictures of cars and picked out license plates that could then be searched via an app. Thomas Brewster, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025 Watch for all of the rest of the games in our main week’s picks out every Thursday online and Friday in print. Miami Herald, 3 Sep. 2025 That timing mechanism is what allows the brain to pick out a voice in a noisy room or focus on one object. New Atlas, 2 Sep. 2025 After you're done, pick out any debris to discard. Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 31 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for pick out

Word History

First Known Use

1540, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of pick out was in 1540

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pick out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pick%20out. Accessed 6 Sep. 2025.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on pick out

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!