as in choice
the act or process of selecting
the picking of new recruits went on for three days
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in provoking
to bring (something volatile or intense) into being
he seems to be trying to pick a fight
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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 picking
Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 27 Mar. 2026
This Apple deal is ripe for the picking!
—Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 25 Mar. 2026
Not only was the move a complete diversion from ABC’s typical method of picking leads from within the Bachelor franchise, but producers went as far as to choose a public figure — and a public figure with a very controversial past.
—Jodi Guglielmi, Rolling Stone, 19 Mar. 2026
No competition, no tryouts, no picking by committee.
—Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 6 Mar. 2026
There are also fresh strawberries ripe for the picking, with blackberry vines along the side of the home.
—Lennie Omalza, Louisville Courier Journal, 5 Mar. 2026
In addition to damage that can occur from gel and acrylic nails, brittleness, thinning, peeling and splitting can also be caused by biting, picking, and harsh chemicals.
—Dominic Cadogan, Glamour, 2 Mar. 2026
There are narrated tractor wagon rides giving tours around the fields along with attractions such as the Artist’s Garden, Sweet Pea Maze and Santa’s Playground, along with blueberry picking on certain days.
—Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Feb. 2026
Joining them are The Steel Wheels, known for their soulful Americana style, and the all-female ensemble Sister Sadie, bringing tight vocals, crisp picking and bold bluegrass spirit.
—Cincinnati Enquirer, 26 Feb. 2026
Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 29 Mar. 2026
Even if the Broncos trust Dobbins to become durable, picking his successor is logical.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 29 Mar. 2026
A little girl who loved green aliens, drinking pickle juice and picking buttercups in the field with her mom.
—Chelsea Bailey, CNN Money, 28 Mar. 2026
About 85% of sign takers were picking this sign.
—Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 28 Mar. 2026
In the video, which appears to be taken from a home surveillance system, Gerchy can be seen forcefully kicking a dog twice before picking it up and throwing it onto a piece of furniture.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 27 Mar. 2026
Before picking ChatGPT as its Apple Intelligence launch partner, Apple held a bake-off internally with AI chatbots.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2026
Schellhammer mostly stuck with the favorites in the opening weekend, though picking Virginia to beat Iowa was a big upset.
—Dave Skretta, Chicago Tribune, 26 Mar. 2026
Gharbi also recommends picking less water-intensive plants to plant this year.
—Ashley Portillo, CBS News, 21 Mar. 2026
Noun
Stock picking is a humbling business, Jim said.
—Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 27 Mar. 2026
This Apple deal is ripe for the picking!
—Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 25 Mar. 2026
Not only was the move a complete diversion from ABC’s typical method of picking leads from within the Bachelor franchise, but producers went as far as to choose a public figure — and a public figure with a very controversial past.
—Jodi Guglielmi, Rolling Stone, 19 Mar. 2026
No competition, no tryouts, no picking by committee.
—Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 6 Mar. 2026
There are also fresh strawberries ripe for the picking, with blackberry vines along the side of the home.
—Lennie Omalza, Louisville Courier Journal, 5 Mar. 2026
In addition to damage that can occur from gel and acrylic nails, brittleness, thinning, peeling and splitting can also be caused by biting, picking, and harsh chemicals.
—Dominic Cadogan, Glamour, 2 Mar. 2026
There are narrated tractor wagon rides giving tours around the fields along with attractions such as the Artist’s Garden, Sweet Pea Maze and Santa’s Playground, along with blueberry picking on certain days.
—Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Feb. 2026
Joining them are The Steel Wheels, known for their soulful Americana style, and the all-female ensemble Sister Sadie, bringing tight vocals, crisp picking and bold bluegrass spirit.
—Cincinnati Enquirer, 26 Feb. 2026
Verb
The 6-foot-1 guard followed up his 36-point night against the Hawks by picking the Hornets apart with paint jumpers, going 8-for-10 in the paint with just one shot inside the restricted area.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 29 Mar. 2026
Even if the Broncos trust Dobbins to become durable, picking his successor is logical.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 29 Mar. 2026
A little girl who loved green aliens, drinking pickle juice and picking buttercups in the field with her mom.
—Chelsea Bailey, CNN Money, 28 Mar. 2026
About 85% of sign takers were picking this sign.
—Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 28 Mar. 2026
In the video, which appears to be taken from a home surveillance system, Gerchy can be seen forcefully kicking a dog twice before picking it up and throwing it onto a piece of furniture.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 27 Mar. 2026
Before picking ChatGPT as its Apple Intelligence launch partner, Apple held a bake-off internally with AI chatbots.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2026
Schellhammer mostly stuck with the favorites in the opening weekend, though picking Virginia to beat Iowa was a big upset.
—Dave Skretta, Chicago Tribune, 26 Mar. 2026
Gharbi also recommends picking less water-intensive plants to plant this year.
—Ashley Portillo, CBS News, 21 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for picking
Noun
-
Make choices that satisfy your soul.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
30 Mar. 2026
-
The choice of Walsh over Baylor Scheierman — who started for Brown on Friday and has been above Walsh on the depth chart for the last two-plus months — was notable, as the former had not started a game since New Year’s Day.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Their peers in the south, meanwhile, are busy harvesting crops before the winter sets in.—
Chloe Taylor,Sam Meredith,
CNBC,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Immigrants in the 1920s discovered the abalone and started harvesting them.—
Laylan Connelly,
Oc Register,
14 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Simply depositing money into the account without selecting investments means your contributions may sit as cash, earning little.—
Allison Palmer,
Kansas City Star,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Every year, millions of Americans fill out March Madness brackets for the annual men's and women's college basketball tournaments, hoping to fulfill their unrealized dreams of selecting a perfect bracket.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Those forces may give the president more leverage in his negotiations, but also risk fueling Tehran's resentment and provoking a harsher response, analysts say.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Women and girls are asked to imagine themselves as a river, provoking powerful reflection on the culture of gender in post-Soviet Asia.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In October 2025, a TikTok user posted a video of a gray squirrel nibbling on the mouth end of a vape device in Philadelphia.—
Ryan Brennan,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Their livestock wander about us, enormous antlers swinging, hooves clicking — the sound helps them to find each other in a blizzard — and occasionally nibbling lichen from Aatsinki’s outstretched hand.—
Liam Denning,
Bloomberg,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Two teenagers are facing charges in connection to a Hackensack, New Jersey, stabbing that sent one of them to the hospital.—
CBS New York Team,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
-
According to Prescott, Walker appeared intent on stabbing the policeman before he was shot.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Since the ballot seizure, local election officials in Riverside County have debunked the allegations of irregularities by saying that the citizens' group's numbers were based on raw data that could have included unsigned ballots.—
Laurie Perez,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
-
But Trump’s election proved that a sizable contingent of the population had no problem imposing their values on others—and even hoped that the government might do so for them.—
Becca Rothfeld,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
As your visibility grows, so does the importance of choosing your associations wisely.—
Kirah Tabourn,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Restaurant industry publications have been noting for the past few years that consumers are choosing healthier options at higher prices.—
Jenna Thompson
March 28,
Kansas City Star,
28 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Picking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/picking. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
