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

Kevin McGonigle had a run-scoring single, reaching base for the 26th consecutive game as a starter, and the Tigers added an unearned run on Ritchie's errant throw to first on a pickoff attempt. —ABC News, 29 Apr. 2026

The left-hander also had the Yankees' 38th pickoff since 2017, the most by any pitcher in that span. —CBS News, 27 Apr. 2026

Verb

But while Louis Moore was exemplary in 2025 — picking off six passes and helping anchor a sturdy secondary on Indiana’s national championship team — NFL evaluators have doubts about whether his modest size (5-10, 191) and limited athleticism will lend itself to a long-term NFL career. —Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 30 Apr. 2026

Since the start of the shutdown, the House has passed a bill to fully fund all of DHS for fiscal year 2027 at least four times -- even picking off some Democrats along the way. —Allison Pecorin, ABC News, 27 Apr. 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