as in selecting
to decide to accept (someone or something) from a group of possibilities
cherry-picked the spacious corner office for his corporate fief
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Recent Examples of cherry-picking
The Justice Department has pushed back on the defense suggestion that Bondi continues to profit from Ballard’s ongoing representation of UnitedHealth Group and accused Mangione’s lawyers of creating such a misimpression by cherry-picking language from her public financial disclosure report.
—
Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 9 Jan. 2026
Vartkessian renders them neither clinically nor sensationally—a fine line to walk—and cherry-picking details for this review feels grossly reductive, like a thumbnail sketch of a scene of desolation.
—Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
Following Democrats’ release, Republicans accused Democrats of cherry-picking the emails, later releasing a tranche of 20,000 pages of documents both sides received from the Epstein estate last week.
—Emily Brooks, The Hill, 13 Nov. 2025
More than 85 scientists denounced the report, accusing officials of cherry-picking facts and figures to allow for the administration’s fossil fuel ambitions.
—Solcyré Burga, Time, 23 Sep. 2025
Sisters Mackinley and Taylor Hill are taking inspiration from their own lives and cherry-picking a collection of juicy new jewelry for their debut line, Stone Fruit.
—Julia Teti, Footwear News, 16 Sep. 2025
Their style is to highlight 5% out of all the film’s reviews, cherry-picking the ones that that are negative.
—Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 28 Aug. 2025
Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 9 Jan. 2026
Vartkessian renders them neither clinically nor sensationally—a fine line to walk—and cherry-picking details for this review feels grossly reductive, like a thumbnail sketch of a scene of desolation.
—Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
Following Democrats’ release, Republicans accused Democrats of cherry-picking the emails, later releasing a tranche of 20,000 pages of documents both sides received from the Epstein estate last week.
—Emily Brooks, The Hill, 13 Nov. 2025
More than 85 scientists denounced the report, accusing officials of cherry-picking facts and figures to allow for the administration’s fossil fuel ambitions.
—Solcyré Burga, Time, 23 Sep. 2025
Sisters Mackinley and Taylor Hill are taking inspiration from their own lives and cherry-picking a collection of juicy new jewelry for their debut line, Stone Fruit.
—Julia Teti, Footwear News, 16 Sep. 2025
Their style is to highlight 5% out of all the film’s reviews, cherry-picking the ones that that are negative.
—Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 28 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cherry-picking
Verb
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Watson said the city does not play a role in selecting festival speakers but will continue protecting people’s right to protest.—
Faith Bugenhagen,
Austin American Statesman,
13 Mar. 2026
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Shortly afterward, however, Iran’s Assembly of Experts — the constitutional body responsible for selecting the supreme leader — announced that Mojtaba Khamenei would assume leadership of the Islamic Republic.—
Pegah Banihashemi,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Follow your interest, then translate insight into action by choosing a useful resource and mapping clear steps with someone who’s already traveled this path.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
14 Mar. 2026
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At the end of Edith Wharton’s The Age of Innocence, an aging Newland Archer, who as a young man broke his own heart by choosing propriety over love, tells himself that the mark of the modern era is that everyone is too busy to care about their neighbors’ standing.—
Lily Meyer,
The Atlantic,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Finding the right pillow is a lot like picking the perfect paint color—there are thousands of options to narrow down, and each one can make an impact on how cozy your bedroom feels.—
Caley Sturgill,
Southern Living,
7 Mar. 2026
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Winds were predicted to subside in the evening hours on Saturday before picking back up on Sunday morning, albeit at lower speeds than Saturday morning.—
Austin Turner,
CBS News,
7 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cherry-picking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cherry-picking. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.
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