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

Travel experts recommend Washington for an autumn escape filled with golden larches, apple picking, wine tasting, misty rainforests, and charming mountain towns. — Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 21 Sep. 2026

The hour captures Strings and his four-piece acoustic band — mandolin, upright bass, banjo and fiddle — in classic picking session formation, with a setlist that also includes selections from 2021’s Renewal. — Spin Staff, SPIN, 18 Sep. 2026

In one photo from the outing, Sterling sat on her dad’s shoulders while apple picking. — Alexandra Schonfeld, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2026

My 7-4 record picking games against the spread in Week 2 is the best since a 7-4 record in Week 13 of last year. — Michael Cunningham, AJC.com, 17 Sep. 2026

September and October are prime months for apple picking, with plenty of other activities to keep you entertained. — Will Barker, TheWeek, 17 Sep. 2026

The Skypod robots move through the storage structure to retrieve inventory and bring it to operators at the picking stations, replacing much of the walking associated with traditional warehouse picking. — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 16 Sep. 2026

Without further ado and in no particular order, here's where to find some of the best apple picking near New York City. — Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 Sep. 2026

Despite the smaller crop, customers are still coming to Linvilla to enjoy apple picking. — Madeleine Wright, CBS News, 14 Sep. 2026

Verb

Joe says picking Katie is either going to work out great for them or backfire. — Alice Burton, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2026

The shooting victim said his sister had been picking him up from school. — Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 24 Sep. 2026

But picking the best deer hunting cartridge also comes down to taste. — John B. Snow, Outdoor Life, 24 Sep. 2026

The younger daughter was thrilled to be involved in picking the perfect shade of dusty pink for her bedroom—Benjamin Moore’s Sheraton Beige—and weighing in on the vintage bamboo headboard and reeded Alfred Newall bedside table. — Alex Beggs, Architectural Digest, 21 Sep. 2026

Picking the best path forward, then, starts with picking a camp, a tribe, an outlook. — Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2026

That said, start by picking a shacket that fits your wardrobe. — Alison Syrett Cleary, InStyle, 18 Sep. 2026

These are two very successful, powerful women, and everyone just wants to push this narrative of beef and controversy and picking teams. — Tanya Fedak, Variety, 17 Sep. 2026

Their biggest competitive advantage, hitting director CJ Gillman said, was picking the low-hanging fruit and simplifying their messaging to players. — Spencer Nusbaum, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026