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
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Recent Examples of picking
Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 19 June 2026
In colder seasons, this rug brings the fun of flower-picking inside.
—Briana Feigon, Architectural Digest, 17 June 2026
With a payload capacity better suited to lighter goods than heavy lifting, the RB-Y1 would likely be deployed for sorting, picking, and moving smaller items if the pilot progresses to commercial use.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 15 June 2026
Pedri — Spain/Barcelona The indispensable midfield brain of Barcelona and Spain, equally capable of dictating possession in deeper areas and picking passes through the opposition lines in advanced ones.
—Liam Twomey, New York Times, 11 June 2026
Regularly monitor the plants for beetles and use methods such as hand-picking or insecticidal soap to control them.
—Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 11 June 2026
Democrats nationally need to pick up at least four seats to win back control of the Senate, and the party sees Maine ripe for the picking come November.
—Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 9 June 2026
These teensy little fruit designs are ripe for the picking.
—Rebecca Norris, InStyle, 8 June 2026
Bonus points for picking separates in the same color palette (red and white is a particularly cute, preppy combo, as shown above).
—Kelsey Stewart, Glamour, 6 June 2026
Julia Gomez, USA Today, 22 June 2026
Callihan had trouble picking it up, allowing McCarthy to race around the bases and beat the relay throw home.
—CBS News, 21 June 2026
Yet the Lakers also are aware that picking that late in the round could leave them selecting the best player available.
—Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times, 21 June 2026
Throughout the war, however, Beijing looked to carefully navigate its interests, rather than taking a front seat in conflict resolution or overtly picking sides.
—Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 20 June 2026
Rather than picking winners, an investor buys one diversified basket.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 20 June 2026
Callihan had trouble picking it up, allowing McCarthy to race around the bases and beat the relay throw home.
—ABC News, 20 June 2026
The Best Cruises For Every Traveler Cruise lines have distinct personalities, so picking the right cruise line is the first step to finding the right cruise.
—Scott Laird, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026
Disembarking us on one side and picking us up again on the other.
—Literary Hub, 19 June 2026
Noun
The Redland rebrand Established in 2024, the Miami Redland Agritourism District allows agricultural businesses in the area to convert 5% of their parcel to venues for dining, fruit picking, family friendly activities, petting zoos, ATV riding, and other activities.
—Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 19 June 2026
In colder seasons, this rug brings the fun of flower-picking inside.
—Briana Feigon, Architectural Digest, 17 June 2026
With a payload capacity better suited to lighter goods than heavy lifting, the RB-Y1 would likely be deployed for sorting, picking, and moving smaller items if the pilot progresses to commercial use.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 15 June 2026
Pedri — Spain/Barcelona The indispensable midfield brain of Barcelona and Spain, equally capable of dictating possession in deeper areas and picking passes through the opposition lines in advanced ones.
—Liam Twomey, New York Times, 11 June 2026
Regularly monitor the plants for beetles and use methods such as hand-picking or insecticidal soap to control them.
—Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 11 June 2026
Democrats nationally need to pick up at least four seats to win back control of the Senate, and the party sees Maine ripe for the picking come November.
—Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 9 June 2026
These teensy little fruit designs are ripe for the picking.
—Rebecca Norris, InStyle, 8 June 2026
Bonus points for picking separates in the same color palette (red and white is a particularly cute, preppy combo, as shown above).
—Kelsey Stewart, Glamour, 6 June 2026
Verb
Its name comes from the fact that the fruit usually ripens and is ready for picking around this time of year.
—Julia Gomez, USA Today, 22 June 2026
Callihan had trouble picking it up, allowing McCarthy to race around the bases and beat the relay throw home.
—CBS News, 21 June 2026
Yet the Lakers also are aware that picking that late in the round could leave them selecting the best player available.
—Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times, 21 June 2026
Throughout the war, however, Beijing looked to carefully navigate its interests, rather than taking a front seat in conflict resolution or overtly picking sides.
—Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 20 June 2026
Rather than picking winners, an investor buys one diversified basket.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 20 June 2026
Callihan had trouble picking it up, allowing McCarthy to race around the bases and beat the relay throw home.
—ABC News, 20 June 2026
The Best Cruises For Every Traveler Cruise lines have distinct personalities, so picking the right cruise line is the first step to finding the right cruise.
—Scott Laird, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026
Disembarking us on one side and picking us up again on the other.
—Literary Hub, 19 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for picking
Noun
-
Park conditions change constantly and visitors' choice of activities and level of preparedness are big factors in determining risk.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
22 June 2026
-
Bad choices like that are a through-line for this whole story, all the way back to Otto Hightower encouraging his daughter, Alicent, to befriend Rhaenyra’s father, King Viserys.—
Sean T. Collins,
Vulture,
22 June 2026
Verb
-
Crooks then deploy myriad methods, including showing viewers scam ads and fake software updates, harvesting their data, or earning commissions by sending them to gambling or adult content sites.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 June 2026
-
Trim the Tops Remove the green foliage immediately after harvesting to help preserve the carrot’s moisture, flavor, and texture.—
Aviva Patz,
Martha Stewart,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
Tossing a Tide pod inside your washing machine, selecting your preferred wash cycle, and pressing start sounds simple enough.—
Katelyn Chef,
Southern Living,
18 June 2026
-
Leaders often devote significant attention to selecting the right platforms, tools, and vendors while overlooking the learning systems necessary to support adoption, experimentation, knowledge sharing, and workforce capability development.—
Michael Edmondson,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
Chris Young’s Beyond Earth column explores the intersection of space technology and policy, providing thought-provoking commentary on the latest advancements and regulatory developments in the sector.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
15 June 2026
-
Experts don’t fully agree on how helpful a low-histamine diet—which limits histamine-provoking foods—is for systemic mastocytosis.—
Gagandeep Brar,
Health,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
Deer And Rabbit Damage Deer have a frustrating habit of nibbling the flowers off of hydrangeas.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
7 June 2026
-
To avoid your dog nibbling on dangerous plants altogether, take the following steps.—
Amy DeYoung,
USA Today,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
He was tried, convicted and sentenced to 35 years behind bars earlier this month for stabbing and killing 17-year-old Austin Metcalf at a high school track meet in Frisco, Texas.—
Kelsie Cairns,
FOXNews.com,
19 June 2026
-
He was sentenced to life in prison in 1994 for manslaughter, after fatally stabbing a man during a fight.—
Meredith Deliso,
ABC News,
19 June 2026
Noun
-
The election of Raman and Roy would also underscore the leftward tilt of Los Angeles, which has four City Council members, including Raman, who are DSA members — two of whom were reelected in the primary.—
Sandra McDonald,
Los Angeles Times,
22 June 2026
-
Starmer had previously vowed to stand in any formal Labour leadership race triggered by rebel lawmakers who feating a 2029 election wipeout sought to replace him.—
Kim Hjelmgaard,
USA Today,
22 June 2026
Verb
-
McCarthy doesn’t paint Alex and Ethan as perfect allies or perfect victims, instead choosing to explore the shortcomings in their friendship through mostly gender-neutral growing pains.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
19 June 2026
-
Langley has recruited women to open for every date, choosing Gabriella Rose, Kaitlin Butts, Avery Anna, Laci Kaye Booth, and Madeline Edwards for the tour, which kicked off in May and concludes this August in, appropriately, Texas.—
Marissa R. Moss,
Rolling Stone,
19 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Picking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/picking. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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