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

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

Alltron, Switzerland’s second-largest e-commerce platform, which has been using robots from Nomagic to automate order picking and packing in its warehouses. — Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 8 July 2026

Financial planning extends far beyond budgeting and stock picking. — Bydoug Ashburn, Encyclopedia Britannica, 5 July 2026

Adding delectable produce like mini strawberries, juicy citrus, and tropical treats will give your next manicure a seasonal treatment that’s ripe for the picking. — Daisy Maldonado, InStyle, 5 July 2026

During this visit to shore, his 12th, his crimes have included picking fights with parked cars and smashing through barriers erected to keep him off roads. — ABC News, 3 July 2026

Beyond the foliage there's apple picking, harvest festivals, Halloween in Salem and a string of storybook towns. — Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026

Experience apple picking and cider tastings in Julian or Oak Glen, both known for growing the fruit—and delicious pies. — Chelsee Lowe, Travel + Leisure, 1 July 2026

Verb

There is a competitive theory behind picking a quiet Tennessee city over a host metropolis. — Sam Leveridge, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026

Usually, that means picking a more premium seating section or opting for an aisle or window seat, depending on preference. — Lindsey Campbell, Travel + Leisure, 17 July 2026

In picking these five categories to shift, Abrego said the plan was to spread it out across different disciplines, including performers, writers and directors. — Michael Schneider, Variety, 17 July 2026

That said, picking a winner comes down to splitting hairs, and the big three camera brands are nearly on parity for focus. — Jim Fisher, PC Magazine, 17 July 2026

Not picking a lane From Day 1 on the job, Yzerman preached patience. — Max Bultman, New York Times, 17 July 2026

The process of picking kids began in January, when FIFA player escort program sponsor Quaker — as in the oats — worked with a nationwide soccer organization named Common Goal. — Delia Rose Sauer, Miami Herald, 11 July 2026

For help picking or upgrading your setup, this full guide to pet feeding stations covers what to look for. — Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 9 July 2026

The writers are picking Founding Fathers apart for something that had acceptance in their times. — Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 July 2026