as in selected
singled out from a number or group as more to one's liking
the senator's handpicked campaign staff
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in picked
to decide to accept (someone or something) from a group of possibilities
handpicked what she considered to be the cutest kitten from the litter
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of handpicked
Jerome Adams, Fortune, 7 Mar. 2026
Al Olszewski, a former state senator who is running for Zinke's seat, accused both Daines and Zinke of betraying the people of Montana and urged voters to reject their handpicked successors.
—Matthew Brown The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 6 Mar. 2026
Nance proposed bringing the story of rampant fraud to a handpicked journalist, who would interview a suspect cooperating with police, a retailer and someone whose identity had been stolen for the scam.
—Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
Unlike Chapek, who alienated Disney’s creative divisions by having the media chiefs report to his handpicked ally, Kareem Daniel, there’s a sense that D’Amaro will approach the task with more delicacy, giving Walden a level of autonomy.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 25 Feb. 2026
This was followed by roughly fifteen minutes of panicked tinkering as his handpicked team of elite coders tried to get their product back online.
—Sam Kriss, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
Trump has railed against the Fed and Powell for the past year, berating Powell, his handpicked Fed chair, for not cutting rates.
—Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 30 Jan. 2026
In the meantime, Lynelle Maginley-Liddie, the handpicked commissioner of former Mayor Eric Adams, continues to lead the department.
—Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 27 Jan. 2026
On Sunday, the dispute further intensified when Rowley and his handpicked successor, Stuart Young, condemned her remarks in separate statements.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 21 Dec. 2025
Adjective
Yet the handpicked chair of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has downplayed the importance of the vaccine for measles, as well as for polio and other highly contagious, deadly diseases.
—Jerome Adams, Fortune, 7 Mar. 2026
Al Olszewski, a former state senator who is running for Zinke's seat, accused both Daines and Zinke of betraying the people of Montana and urged voters to reject their handpicked successors.
—Matthew Brown The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 6 Mar. 2026
Nance proposed bringing the story of rampant fraud to a handpicked journalist, who would interview a suspect cooperating with police, a retailer and someone whose identity had been stolen for the scam.
—Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
Unlike Chapek, who alienated Disney’s creative divisions by having the media chiefs report to his handpicked ally, Kareem Daniel, there’s a sense that D’Amaro will approach the task with more delicacy, giving Walden a level of autonomy.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 25 Feb. 2026
This was followed by roughly fifteen minutes of panicked tinkering as his handpicked team of elite coders tried to get their product back online.
—Sam Kriss, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
Trump has railed against the Fed and Powell for the past year, berating Powell, his handpicked Fed chair, for not cutting rates.
—Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 30 Jan. 2026
In the meantime, Lynelle Maginley-Liddie, the handpicked commissioner of former Mayor Eric Adams, continues to lead the department.
—Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 27 Jan. 2026
On Sunday, the dispute further intensified when Rowley and his handpicked successor, Stuart Young, condemned her remarks in separate statements.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 21 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for handpicked
Adjective
-
The gist, however, seems to be that extra-terrestrials make contact with a selected few, before promising to go public to the entire world — good luck dealing with the ramifications of that one, human race!—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
31 Dec. 2025
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The selected cohort—Diamond Batiste, Ciara Boniface, Jeremy Hsing, Alejandra López and Brittany Alexia Young—were chosen from nearly 1,000 submissions, placing them at the forefront of a new chapter in cinematic storytelling.—
Okla Jones,
Essence,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The Pirates were picked to finish last in the preseason coaches’ poll.—
Joe Arruda,
Hartford Courant,
11 Mar. 2026
-
And said controversy began the very moment that the Dolphins picked Tagovailoa.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Doctors had little to offer Reid beyond steroids, which reduce inflammation but can cause bone fractures and diabetes, and a select few immunosuppressant drugs, which expose patients to infections and often fail to halt the disease’s progression.—
Jason Liebowitz,
New Yorker,
6 Mar. 2026
-
The film was released theatrically by indie distributor Rich Spirit through boutique screenings in select cities.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Here are 28 of our favorite spring movies and where to stream them!—
Elizabeth Logan,
Glamour,
12 Mar. 2026
-
My favorite story to illustrate how Ross moves is the time I was told to ask Ross about his recent purchase of Fort Lauderdale’s iconic W Hotel on the first date of training camp in 2014.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Job opening numbers, personal consumption expenditures data - the Fed's preferred inflation gauge - and a second estimate of quarterly GDP are due this week.—
Reuters,
USA Today,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Now, the preferred tennis shoes have cool retro vibes and a wider, more rounded toe.—
Lina-Marie Baatz,
Glamour,
9 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Handpicked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/handpicked. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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