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

Aggressive base running on a pickoff bid and wild pitches scored the last two of the frame. —Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 23 May 2026

Norco got seven hits off of him, but a couple of pickoffs, a double play and three inning-ending strikeouts kept the Cougars from expanding their lead. —Steve Fryer, Oc Register, 23 May 2026

Verb

But Cole overcame that initial adversity, getting Jonathan Aranda to fly out harmlessly, and then using a slick inside move to pick off Simpson. —Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 23 May 2026

Not opportunistically picking off babies from the ground. —Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 17 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