as in intercepting
to stop, seize, or interrupt while in progress or on course
picked off more passes than any other player in the division
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of picking off
Harriet died a few years before Leo, and then Leo passed, picking off enemy planes in a brief delirium.
—
Joe Soucheray, Twin Cities, 30 May 2026
Despite emerging from the pits behind McLaughlin, Malukas swept past his teammate on the out lap before also picking off Palou, putting him ahead of the two yellow cars once again.
—Jeff Gluck, New York Times, 24 May 2026
Not opportunistically picking off babies from the ground.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 17 May 2026
But while Louis Moore was exemplary in 2025 — picking off six passes and helping anchor a sturdy secondary on Indiana’s national championship team — NFL evaluators have doubts about whether his modest size (5-10, 191) and limited athleticism will lend itself to a long-term NFL career.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 30 Apr. 2026
Since the start of the shutdown, the House has passed a bill to fully fund all of DHS for fiscal year 2027 at least four times -- even picking off some Democrats along the way.
—Allison Pecorin, ABC News, 27 Apr. 2026
In order to pull off a stunner, Democrats must hold their own while picking off four GOP seats.
—Editorial, Boston Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
After weeks and weeks of speculation of who could be available when the Cowboys were on the clock for their first selection in the first round, the board began quickly picking off talented defensive players.
—Nick Harris
april 24, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Apr. 2026
Steph Curry pitched the ball to Draymond Green, who set a screen and immediately tossed it back to Curry while picking off a defender.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2026
Joe Soucheray, Twin Cities, 30 May 2026
Despite emerging from the pits behind McLaughlin, Malukas swept past his teammate on the out lap before also picking off Palou, putting him ahead of the two yellow cars once again.
—Jeff Gluck, New York Times, 24 May 2026
Not opportunistically picking off babies from the ground.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 17 May 2026
But while Louis Moore was exemplary in 2025 — picking off six passes and helping anchor a sturdy secondary on Indiana’s national championship team — NFL evaluators have doubts about whether his modest size (5-10, 191) and limited athleticism will lend itself to a long-term NFL career.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 30 Apr. 2026
Since the start of the shutdown, the House has passed a bill to fully fund all of DHS for fiscal year 2027 at least four times -- even picking off some Democrats along the way.
—Allison Pecorin, ABC News, 27 Apr. 2026
In order to pull off a stunner, Democrats must hold their own while picking off four GOP seats.
—Editorial, Boston Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
After weeks and weeks of speculation of who could be available when the Cowboys were on the clock for their first selection in the first round, the board began quickly picking off talented defensive players.
—Nick Harris
april 24, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Apr. 2026
Steph Curry pitched the ball to Draymond Green, who set a screen and immediately tossed it back to Curry while picking off a defender.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for picking off
Verb
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Stringer | Reuters Kuwait, positioned in the northwestern corner of the Persian Gulf, reported Monday that its air defenses had been intercepting missile and drone attacks.—
Sam Meredith,
CNBC,
1 June 2026
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Underneath the topmost layer (a user clicking through a browser), a comprehensive E2E setup involves mocking production endpoints, intercepting network requests, seeding databases, making precise assertions at every layer of the stack and integrating tightly with CI pipelines.—
Ethan Pronev,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Verb
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The best know how to play through grabbing or shoving of various degrees.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
29 May 2026
-
Wembanyama finished Game 6 with 28 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.—
Devon Henderson,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
Verb
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The additions of Kadyn Proctor along the offensive line and blocking tight end Will Kacmarek almost certainly affirmed that.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
29 May 2026
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Over the following hours, the moon will pass directly in front of the red supergiant star, briefly blocking its light in an event that astronomers refer to as an occultation, according to the astronomy website In-the-Sky.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
29 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Picking off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/picking%20off. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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