Synonyms of picking

picking 1 of 2

noun

as in choice

the act or process of selecting

the picking of new recruits went on for three days

Synonyms & Similar Words

• choice
• election
• selecting
• choosing
• selection
• nomination
• decision
• naming
• option
• appointment
• designation
• assignment

picking

2 of 2

verb

present participle of pick

1

as in harvesting

to catch or collect (a crop or natural resource) for human use

pick peas and beans from the garden for dinner

Synonyms & Similar Words

• harvesting
• gathering
• reaping
• growing
• fishing
• mowing
• accumulating
• cutting
• gleaning
• foraging
• sealing
• garnering
• hunting
• capturing
• cropping
• bagging
• trapping
• whaling
• clamming
• raising
• netting
• shrimping
• snaring
• haying

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• planting
• seeding
• sowing

2

as in selecting

to decide to accept (someone or something) from a group of possibilities

I pick you as my partner

Synonyms & Similar Words

• selecting
• choosing
• taking
• naming
• electing
• preferring
• culling
• designating
• tagging
• handpicking
• cherry-picking
• singling (out)
• opting (for)
• nominating
• tapping
• appointing
• adopting
• accepting
• marking
• preselecting
• fixing
• embracing
• setting
• tabbing
• settling (on or upon)
• espousing

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• rejecting
• refusing
• declining
• turning down
• discarding
• repudiating
• disapproving
• spurning
• throwing away
• throwing out
• jettisoning
• negativing

3

as in provoking

to bring (something volatile or intense) into being

he seems to be trying to pick a fight

Synonyms & Similar Words

• provoking
• raising
• promoting
• triggering
• encouraging
• cultivating
• instigating
• fermenting
• inciting
• fomenting
• brewing
• stimulating
• stirring (up)
• whipping (up)
• abetting
• setting in motion
• fostering
• sowing
• furthering
• advancing
• forwarding
• nurturing
• detonating
• motivating
• nourishing
• inspiring
• setting
• activating
• setting off
• rousing
• exciting
• galvanizing
• firing
• inflaming
• energizing
• invigorating
• enlivening
• quickening
• vitalizing
• jazzing (up)
• pepping (up)
• livening (up)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• checking
• holding
• regulating
• restraining
• inhibiting
• discouraging
• constraining
• curbing
• taming
• settling
• soothing
• reining (in)
• subduing
• calming
• bridling
• quieting
• allaying
• stilling
• tranquilizing

4

as in nibbling

to eat reluctantly and in small bites

still suffering from the shock of his wife's death, he could do no more than pick halfheartedly at his food

Synonyms & Similar Words

• nibbling
• pecking
• snacking
• grazing
• tasting
• noshing

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• gorging
• overeating
• swilling
• pigging out
• gormandizing

5

as in stabbing

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

• stabbing
• jabbing
• puncturing
• sticking
• piercing
• pecking
• spitting
• poking
• slicing
• spiking
• spearing
• punching
• skewering
• impaling
• running through
• harpooning
• lancing
• transfixing
• goring
• transpiercing
• pinking
• cutting
• spindling
• perforating
• riddling
• pricking
• thrusting
• bayoneting
• piking
• knifing
• gimleting
• quilling
• pronging
• pinpricking
• dirking
• poniarding

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of picking

Noun

While his brothers showed little interest, Dimon gravitated toward big business bets and used the simulation games to learn the fundamentals of stock picking and decision making. — Sarah Glodek, Fortune, 29 July 2026

As a bonus, the season also brings plenty of opportunities for apple picking, pumpkin patches, and other seasonal activities. — Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 28 July 2026

Summer meant waiting until those wild berry bushes hidden in the woods near grandma’s house were finally ripe for the picking. — Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 27 July 2026

Mangoes are ripe for the picking in South Florida and the avocado trees are full. — Amaia Gavica, Miami Herald, 23 July 2026

In her youth, John had taught her that children’s birthday parties were ripe for the picking. — Sabrina Reed, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026

The investment is seen as a validation of Sereact’s Cortex technology, a universal AI operating system that can run across multiple hardware forms such as single-arm picking cells, dual-arm return stations, and humanoid robots. — Roy Stephen Canivel, Footwear News, 21 July 2026

Larger pests, like slugs, are best controlled with hand-picking or by companion planting petunias with plants that naturally deter pests. — Lauren Landers, The Spruce, 14 July 2026

Angelica volunteers every year for picking, but that ain’t never gonna happen. — Martha Ross, Mercury News, 13 July 2026

Verb

The standard way to shop usually means picking recipes first, making a list, and buying those exact ingredients regardless of price. — Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 31 July 2026

Conservationists in the area have rallied around the remaining tree, slamming Homeland Security for not picking an alternative route that does not involve cutting down the trees. — Michael Loria, USA Today, 30 July 2026

France then took off for home, but because Tovar quickly ran over to grab the ball and because France is not fast, there would have been a close play at the plate had Tovar not dropped the ball after picking it up. — Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 July 2026

Since August marks the beginning of the in-between time of summer and fall, bridge the beauty gap by picking the best late-summer nail shades for your monthly manicure. — Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 29 July 2026

Every year, around this time, the blueberry patch is checked often until the berries are ready for picking, our founder shared in a recent blog post. — Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 28 July 2026

Ample support is vital for stays of more than a night or two, and picking one that doesn’t leak air significantly will keep your guests from waking up on the floor. — Bestreviews, Mercury News, 28 July 2026

Still, as the season’s profits illustrate, carefully picking home run props can leave bettors in the black. — Josh Shepardson, Forbes.com, 24 July 2026

By picking something like Quince’s Powder-Coated Aluminum Outdoor Dining Set, available in sage green, your furniture complements the plants. — Better Homes & Gardens, 24 July 2026