as in selected
singled out from a number or group as more to one's liking
a picked group of people for the project
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in harvested
to catch or collect (a crop or natural resource) for human use
pick peas and beans from the garden for dinner
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in chose
to decide to accept (someone or something) from a group of possibilities
I pick you as my partner
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in provoked
to bring (something volatile or intense) into being
he seems to be trying to pick a fight
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
5
as in stabbed
to penetrate or hold (something) with a pointed object
continued to pick the block of ice until she was able to extract the shrimp
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of picked
Carrie Madormo, Verywell Health, 15 Apr. 2026
The pile of trash reportedly was cleaned up and covered by a neighbor after being picked through by scavengers.
—Greg Norman-Diamond, FOXNews.com, 15 Apr. 2026
Guides picked by the hotel lead walking tours of the Sassi of Matera and the nearby town of Altamura; a highlight for me was visiting one of Italy’s oldest printing presses and a cheese tasting at Caseificio Dicecca, a favorite of Stanley Tucci’s.
—Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 15 Apr. 2026
Indeed, our guest magician picked a pre-teen from the audience to assist in his magic act on stage.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Apr. 2026
The California crowd picked it up immediately.
—Emma Madden, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2026
The Reds picked seventh, selecting right-hander Rhett Lowder, who will start against Mahle on Wednesday.
—C. Trent Rosecrans, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2026
Homeowners across Central Florida have been frustrated to find their piles of dead leaves, branches and plants — victims of February’s hard freeze — still sitting on their curbs because waste haulers haven’t picked it up on time.
—Ryan Gillespie, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Apr. 2026
For every scene, participants picked one robot from a lineup of six that differed only in color—there were four skin tones ranging from light to dark, plus a silver and a teal option meant as nonracial baselines.
—Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 8 Apr. 2026
Verb
They’re typically picked, washed, chopped, and frozen at peak ripeness, helping lock in nutrients and flavor.
—Carrie Madormo, Verywell Health, 15 Apr. 2026
The pile of trash reportedly was cleaned up and covered by a neighbor after being picked through by scavengers.
—Greg Norman-Diamond, FOXNews.com, 15 Apr. 2026
Guides picked by the hotel lead walking tours of the Sassi of Matera and the nearby town of Altamura; a highlight for me was visiting one of Italy’s oldest printing presses and a cheese tasting at Caseificio Dicecca, a favorite of Stanley Tucci’s.
—Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 15 Apr. 2026
Indeed, our guest magician picked a pre-teen from the audience to assist in his magic act on stage.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Apr. 2026
The California crowd picked it up immediately.
—Emma Madden, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2026
The Reds picked seventh, selecting right-hander Rhett Lowder, who will start against Mahle on Wednesday.
—C. Trent Rosecrans, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2026
Homeowners across Central Florida have been frustrated to find their piles of dead leaves, branches and plants — victims of February’s hard freeze — still sitting on their curbs because waste haulers haven’t picked it up on time.
—Ryan Gillespie, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Apr. 2026
For every scene, participants picked one robot from a lineup of six that differed only in color—there were four skin tones ranging from light to dark, plus a silver and a teal option meant as nonracial baselines.
—Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 8 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for picked
Adjective
-
The selected artist will be notified by early October.—
News Release,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
21 Mar. 2026
-
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
Verb
-
Thanks to the South's long growing season, many crops, such as beans, can be planted and harvested successively over a longer period of time.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
12 Apr. 2026
-
The crop can be harvested at anytime, but most gardeners leave bulbs in the ground until the tops decline and flop over.—
Tom MacCubbin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
An argument over a handgun that a man brought to a Fort Worth gender reveal party provoked an exchange of gunfire that injured five people including the suspect, a detective wrote in an arrest warrant affidavit.—
Amy McDaniel,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Apr. 2026
-
When outliers such as Jeff Sessions and Chris Christie straggled into his camp, their betrayal provoked mockery and outrage.—
Jonathan Chait,
The Atlantic,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Threatened by the lack of water and nibbled by starving livestock, the trees that once formed a dense forest in the Somali region of Ethiopia are in danger, locals say.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 Apr. 2026
-
That led to a viral moment in a Lions’ Thanksgiving Day game when his teammates were shown chowing down on the turkey provided by Fox, while Montgomery nibbled on a carrot.—
Matt Young,
Houston Chronicle,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Daniel Montano, 21, was stabbed during a chaotic early morning brawl Easter Sunday, according to Wilmington police.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Carl Reed was sentenced to 27 years in prison in 2005 for the killing of 66-year-old Kim Van Vo, who had been stabbed 11 times in his apartment at an assisted living facility.—
Sabrina Franza,
CBS News,
15 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Since select streamers are offering free trials and limited-time discounts, viewers can watch the latest episodes of Kara Swisher Wants to Live Forever at no cost; keep reading to learn more about each option.—
Erin Lassner,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Apr. 2026
-
The food tour company also offers small group culinary tours that include cooking courses taking place on select dates or that can be scheduled at any time.—
Beth Luberecki,
USA Today,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Before noon, city leaders gathered to unveil a sign next to the new installation, located across from the original site near Lummus Park.—
Ivan Taylor,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Chloe Lamford’s set is a kind of postindustrial purgatory — a towering, crumbling old garage, decades of dust and dirt gathered at the feet of its pillars.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
John Klingberg then took control of a loose puck and gave it to Celebrini, who fired it over to an open Smith for his 24th of the season.—
Curtis Pashelka,
Mercury News,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Police served a search warrant at the house and took several items as possible evidence.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Picked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/picked. Accessed 18 Apr. 2026.
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