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
Emily Elias, Bon Appetit Magazine, 4 Mar. 2026
The movie has already been picked by The Jokers Films which will release the film in France.
—Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 4 Mar. 2026
Hegseth picked which reporters to call on.
—Brian Bennett, Time, 4 Mar. 2026
The Republican nominee will be picked in a May runoff, after neither Cornyn nor Paxton got more than 50% of votes.
—Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Mar. 2026
Comedian Funches spent numerous episodes defending his honor as a faithful, as the other players nit-picked his actions and reserved demeanor.
—Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 3 Mar. 2026
That’s little consolation for the sixth-place Broncos (18-11, 10-8), who lost their next three games and tumbled to 1-5 after being picked to finish third in the preseason media poll.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Mar. 2026
Simpson struggled late in the season, but Orlovsky said his tape from his first eight games is worthy of being picked in the top five.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 3 Mar. 2026
Catcher Will Smith rushed the mound and picked him up from the waist.
—Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 2026
Verb
Anyways, that's why Meg picked two out of three.
—Emily Elias, Bon Appetit Magazine, 4 Mar. 2026
The movie has already been picked by The Jokers Films which will release the film in France.
—Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 4 Mar. 2026
Hegseth picked which reporters to call on.
—Brian Bennett, Time, 4 Mar. 2026
The Republican nominee will be picked in a May runoff, after neither Cornyn nor Paxton got more than 50% of votes.
—Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Mar. 2026
Comedian Funches spent numerous episodes defending his honor as a faithful, as the other players nit-picked his actions and reserved demeanor.
—Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 3 Mar. 2026
That’s little consolation for the sixth-place Broncos (18-11, 10-8), who lost their next three games and tumbled to 1-5 after being picked to finish third in the preseason media poll.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Mar. 2026
Simpson struggled late in the season, but Orlovsky said his tape from his first eight games is worthy of being picked in the top five.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 3 Mar. 2026
Catcher Will Smith rushed the mound and picked him up from the waist.
—Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for picked
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
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Depending on the data breach, that could include an email address, phone number, date of birth or other identifying details commonly harvested during large-scale hacks.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
28 Feb. 2026
-
Onions From Sets/Bulbs Onion sets are immature bulbs harvested from the previous year's crop and stored over winter for spring planting.—
Barbara Gillette,
The Spruce,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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And his knockout debut men’s show in June, provoked roaring applause from attendees for its earnest joyfulness.—
José Criales-Unzueta,
Vanity Fair,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Union officials said the teen provoked the clash.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
For years, not having enough money nibbled at my aunt’s health.—
Jenisha Watts,
The Atlantic,
2 Mar. 2026
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What Wear's cocktail reception at Kabawa brought together names like Lana Condor, Tefi Pessoa and Jessel Taank, who joined in the festivities as guests nibbled on oysters and mini beef patties (with goody bags presented by Maison BCBG on the way out the door).—
Anika Reed,
USA Today,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Officers found the mother of four stabbed to death in the back of the store.—
Dan Raby,
CBS News,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Michelle Adams, 39, was stabbed to death and three women, ages 36, 37 and 40, were wounded.—
David K. Li,
NBC news,
3 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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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
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The film was released theatrically by indie distributor Rich Spirit through boutique screenings in select cities.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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As additional observations from telescopes around the world were gathered throughout 2025, scientists were able to refine its orbit.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Mar. 2026
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In a voice note sent by the second Tehran resident on Wednesday night, the sound of pro-regime demonstrators who had gathered for the first day of official mourning for Khamenei can be heard chanting in the background.—
Kara Fox,
CNN Money,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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He was involved in the negotiations for Hansen's seat, which took four years to obtain as both NASA and CSA policy priorities had to align on the matter, and funding to be obtained.—
Mike Wall,
Space.com,
6 Mar. 2026
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After Williams rallied in the second set to tie it, the 23-year-old Parry, ranked 111th in the world, took control and cruised in the third.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Picked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/picked. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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