1
as in to master
to acquire complete knowledge, understanding, or skill in
he has a knack for picking up a language in a few weeks
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to collect
to bring together in one body or place
pick up all of your things because we have to be off this beach before dark
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to buy
to get possession of (something) by giving money in exchange for
could you pick up some milk at the store?
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to gain
to gradually increase in
the boat was just picking up speed when it was rammed by another boat
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in to lift
to move from a lower to a higher place or position
pick up your feet while I vacuum in front of the sofa
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in to arrest
to take or keep under one's control by authority of law
police picked up the fugitive when she went out to buy food
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in to clean house
to make a place neat and orderly by removing extraneous stuff
I thought you said you had picked up, so why are these things still lying around the rec room?
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
8
as in to resume
to begin again or return to after an interruption
after the protestors were removed from the auditorium, the speaker picked up his lecture right where he had left off
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9
as in to trim
to make neat
the boy's bedroom looked like it hadn't been picked up in quite a while
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as in increase
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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of pick up
Mark Bonamo, New York Times, 1 June 2025
The incident occurred as the Trump administration has taken extraordinary measures to crack down on immigration, aggressively pressuring Immigration and Customs Enforcement to pick up the pace of migrant arrests and touting mass deportation plans.
—Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 1 June 2025
There were some calls came to the phone, but none were picked up.
—Ruth Chenetz, CBS News, 31 May 2025
Five-time major winner Rory McIlroy picked up his Bear’s Club home from fellow major champion Ernie Els in 2017.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for pick up
Verb
Some were making plans to move to Canada, rather than face being picked up by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said Jeffrey Thielman, the president of the International Institute of New England, which works with refugees and immigrants in the Boston area and beyond.
—Mark Bonamo, New York Times, 1 June 2025
The incident occurred as the Trump administration has taken extraordinary measures to crack down on immigration, aggressively pressuring Immigration and Customs Enforcement to pick up the pace of migrant arrests and touting mass deportation plans.
—Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 1 June 2025
There were some calls came to the phone, but none were picked up.
—Ruth Chenetz, CBS News, 31 May 2025
Five-time major winner Rory McIlroy picked up his Bear’s Club home from fellow major champion Ernie Els in 2017.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for pick up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pick up
Verb
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There’s a belief that merely mastering a posture that keeps the battle alive, even if the defender successfully wipes the hand away while simultaneously bringing more power to the punches that do connect, can shift those win-rate averages from league worst to something more manageable.—
Paul Dehner Jr,
New York Times,
2 June 2025
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Maron will portray Chuck Plotkin, the producer who painstakingly mastered Springsteen’s pivotal 1982 album Nebraska.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
2 June 2025
Verb
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Turn Small Talk Into Shared Problem-Solving Shift from collecting contacts to connecting dots.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
2 June 2025
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The number of people collecting unemployment checks climbed in mid-May to a fresh four-year high, the Labor Department said Thursday.—
Matt Egan,
CNN Money,
2 June 2025
Verb
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What Trump tariffs could mean for your next Apple purchase Who could buy TikTok?—
Greta Cross,
USA Today,
28 May 2025
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Having traveled to 75 countries, bought real estate in 24, established businesses in 7, and educated her children in 4, Kathleen is the go-to expert on expat life.—
Kathleen Peddicord,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2025
Verb
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As infrastructure depends more on vendor ecosystems, attackers often exploit weaker partners to gain access.—
Srikanth Bellamkonda,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
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Two different quarterbacks threw for touchdowns, while four different skill position players found pay dirt as St. Louis gained over 400 scrimmage yards in the win.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 May 2025
Verb
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But after President Joseph R. Biden Jr. lifted the bans in January 2021, travel from those countries — and from Chad, Libya and Yemen — more than rebounded.—
Allison McCann,
New York Times,
5 June 2025
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But the restrictions haven’t been lifted, causing intense displeasure inside the Trump administration and prompting a recent series of measures imposed on China, three administration officials told CNN last week.—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
4 June 2025
Verb
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Georgia is then arrested and driven away in a cop car, setting the stage for an intense court battle and a potential prison sentence in Season 3.—
Monica Mercuri,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
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The Columbia County, Oregon, Sheriff’s Office arrested the suspect on May 22, the FBI said.—
Rebekah Riess,
CNN Money,
6 June 2025
Verb
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The plane then resumed its journey and traveled the remaining four hours to Los Angeles without incident.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
28 May 2025
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The task is to collect various candidates and resumes, sort through them, and figure out which one is best.—
John Werner,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2025
Verb
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While restructuring in the name of efficiency is one way to trim headcount, a negative work environment can also have a direct impact on talent retention.—
The Hill,
The Hill,
30 May 2025
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The Owls trimmed the lead to 25-20 and got the ball back at their 30 with 32 seconds remaining in the game.—
Bruce Feldman,
New York Times,
30 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pick up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pick%20up. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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