picked off

verb

past tense of pick off
as in intercepted
to stop, seize, or interrupt while in progress or on course picked off more passes than any other player in the division

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of picked off Spensar Sieger passed for 257 yards with a touchdown for MidAmerica Nazarene, but he was picked off three times. — Kansas City Star, 6 Sep. 2026 Manning forced a ball into coverage, and it was picked off by Texas State safety Ryan Nolan on third-and-11 with 11 seconds left in the second quarter. — Sam Khan Jr, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2026 The Minutemen picked off Lonergan three times Thursday night. — Zach Dean Outkick, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2026 The interception was Howard’s third of the preseason, after being picked off twice in a 17-0 loss to the New York Jets last weekend. — ABC News, 27 Aug. 2026 So when Rocky Hill’s Justin Barron picked off three passes, the first against future Hall of Famer Matthew Stafford in the join practice with the Rams, Cowboys fans had a new favorite. — Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 25 Aug. 2026 In the third quarter, safety Alex Cook picked off a pass by Spencer Rattler at the goal line and returned it 100 yards for a touchdown. — Los Angeles Times, 22 Aug. 2026 These crops have fewer pests, or where needed, they can be picked off or treated with natural insecticides. — Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Aug. 2026 Jones also picked off a pass in Wednesday’s practice, which, despite the Patriots’ run-game issues, ended with consecutive unsuccessful two-minute drills for Philadelphia. — Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 20 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for picked off
  1. intercepted
  2. grabbed
  3. captured
  4. caught
  5. blocked
Verb
  • Underwood threw an out route to the sideline that was intercepted and nearly returned for a touchdown.
    — Austin Meek, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Weaver completed 23 of 39 passes for 316 yards and was intercepted once.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of intercepted
Verb
  • Oliver grabbed a hat-trick to take his tally for the season to seven in just four games after four against Leeds United the previous week.
    — Rob Tanner, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • At 4 o’clock on a Thursday morning, Salomon Olea grabbed a packed lunch of a ham-and- cheese torta and a white peach, kissed his wife goodbye and left the home in Escondido he’s owned for nearly 30 years.
    — Audrey McGlinchy, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of grabbed
Verb
  • Israel captured East Jerusalem and the West Bank in the 1967 war.
    — Oren Liebermann, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2026
  • One of the iconic Chicago Bears photos from 1985, shot during a minicamp practice in the spring, captured Walter Payton with one finger on his left hand tugging down the shorts of fullback Matt Suhey, who was lined up in the I-formation.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of captured
Verb
  • Ancelotti, though, could have spent the past four weeks in Europe and still barely caught a glance of Estevao Willian, Brazil’s would-be attacking talisman.
    — Jack Lang, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • In this ⁠year’s hunting season, which runs ​from ⁠June to around the end of September, 80 fin whales had been caught as of Wednesday, according to ⁠Humane World for Animals, an animal welfare group that tracks ​the ⁠catches.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of caught
Verb
  • The redrawn map lawmakers passed last September, which carves up Kansas City into three separate Republican-leaning districts, remains blocked by court order.
    — Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 11 Sep. 2026
  • The extra point attempt was blocked, allowing Weatherford to maintain a slim 7-6 advantage.
    — Gavin Vieck, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of blocked

Browse Nearby Words

picked at
picked off
picked on
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Picked off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/picked%20off. Accessed 15 Sep. 2026.

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Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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