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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
9
as in to trim
to make neat
the boy's bedroom looked like it hadn't been picked up in quite a while
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of pick up
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 13 Feb. 2026
Quero Silva, 55, who came to South Florida with his family on a visa in 2016 and settled in Miramar, has been held at the Krome detention center in West Miami-Dade since he was picked up by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents a year ago.
—Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 13 Feb. 2026
My focus is on Season 4 and getting that picked up.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 13 Feb. 2026
But data show Charlotte’s numbers are picking up.
—Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pick up
Verb
The idea has spawned a flurry of products which are helping their customers resist the temptation of automatically picking up their phone and scrolling social media during any and every lull in the day.
—Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 13 Feb. 2026
Quero Silva, 55, who came to South Florida with his family on a visa in 2016 and settled in Miramar, has been held at the Krome detention center in West Miami-Dade since he was picked up by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents a year ago.
—Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 13 Feb. 2026
My focus is on Season 4 and getting that picked up.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 13 Feb. 2026
But data show Charlotte’s numbers are picking up.
—Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pick up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pick up
Verb
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Liu skated on, mastering her jumps and repeating as national champion in 2020, though age restrictions prevented her from entering international competitions.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
16 Feb. 2026
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Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan Amy Tan has mastered the art of mother-daughter literature.—
Amanda Favazza,
Southern Living,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The following burglaries are from reports collected from the Little Rock and North Little Rock police departments.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
15 Feb. 2026
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Winners of the Lucky for Life top prize of $1,000 a day for life and second prize of $25,000 a year for life can decide to collect the prize for a minimum of 20 years or take a lump sum cash payment.—
Staff Reports,
The Providence Journal,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The Czech Republic has since stopped buying Russian oil, but Hungary and Slovakia used the EU’s exemption to deepen their dependence.—
Christian Edwards,
CNN Money,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Everybody buys groceries, and everyone has felt the increase in costs over the last few years.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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After 40 years beachside (and gaining a casual, semi-riotous rep for all the day-drinking amid the sand and surf), the Independent Spirit Awards has shacked up at the Hollywood Palladium.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
16 Feb. 2026
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Vast intends to launch a pathfinder station called Haven-1 to LEO in 2027, then use the experience gained to build and operate the multi-module Haven-2 over the next few years.—
Mike Wall,
Space.com,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Takaichi has pledged to revise security and defense policies by December to bolster Japan's military capabilities, lifting a ban on lethal weapons exports and moving further away from postwar pacifist principles.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
19 Feb. 2026
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Several profit reports from companies helped to lift stocks Wednesday.—
Stan Choe,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Murphy had been jailed since March 2021 when he was arrested on suspicion of killing his wife, Whitney Murphy, at their rural home in 2014 to collect life insurance money.—
Kevin Fixler,
Idaho Statesman,
20 Feb. 2026
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Jones was arrested 15 years after his former teammate’s killing and has pleaded not guilty.—
Sofia Saric,
Miami Herald,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Continue reading … POLICY PIVOT — NYC mayor Zohran Mamdani to resume clearing homeless encampments after pausing policy.—
,
FOXNews.com,
19 Feb. 2026
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Construction resumed on downtown Miami’s oldest street, where road closures lingered for almost two years.—
Larry Seward,
Miami Herald,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The micro-style, trimmed with frills along the back, quickly found its way onto creator Devon Lee Carlson and rap artist Sexy Redd at Coachella, before subsequently selling out on the brand’s site.—
Amy Francombe,
Vogue,
20 Feb. 2026
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Where Frederick Wiseman’s attention is analytical and the Maysles brothers’ attention is dramatic, Depardon’s is a tree trunk—blunt, rough, heavy, a raw thing to hew that keeps its rings of history even after shaping and trimming.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pick up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pick%20up. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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