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

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

Those included a pitch clock, larger bases, and restrictions on defensive shifts and pitcher disengagements such as pickoff attempts. —Ronald Blum, Denver Post, 23 Sep. 2025

Strawberry did that at a time when the rules did not restrict the number of pickoffs a pitcher could attempt during an at-bat. —Will Sammon, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025

Verb

Redshirt sophomore Boen Phelps picked off Swann early in the fourth quarter and returned the ball for a 33-yard score, going untouched just as McCoy did. —Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 28 Sep. 2025

Central moved to the Keller 25-yard line, but Indians’ defensive back Baron Brown picked off a pass in the end zone to preserve a 31-16 Keller lead at the intermission. —Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Sep. 2025

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