1
as in mastering
to acquire complete knowledge, understanding, or skill in
he has a knack for picking up a language in a few weeks
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in assembling
to bring together in one body or place
pick up all of your things because we have to be off this beach before dark
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in buying
to get possession of (something) by giving money in exchange for
could you pick up some milk at the store?
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4
as in growing (in)
to gradually increase in
the boat was just picking up speed when it was rammed by another boat
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5
as in lifting
to move from a lower to a higher place or position
pick up your feet while I vacuum in front of the sofa
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6
as in arresting
to take or keep under one's control by authority of law
police picked up the fugitive when she went out to buy food
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7
as in cleaning house
to make a place neat and orderly by removing extraneous stuff
I thought you said you had picked up, so why are these things still lying around the rec room?
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8
as in resuming
to begin again or return to after an interruption
after the protestors were removed from the auditorium, the speaker picked up his lecture right where he had left off
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9
as in trimming
to make neat
the boy's bedroom looked like it hadn't been picked up in quite a while
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of picking up
With five miles to the finish line and no one else picking up pace, Martin decided to push himself to the end.
—
Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2026
Age is also key here — the Bulls wouldn’t help themselves by picking up a big who’s already in his late 20s, aging him out of the current plan focused around 21-year-old Matas Buzelis.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 19 Feb. 2026
Shoppers are picking up essentials early, aiming to avoid last-minute trips if roads become unsafe.
—Nicole Nielsen, CBS News, 23 Jan. 2026
Trent Perry is picking up the slack for the UCLA basketball team.
—Daily News, 15 Jan. 2026
But now the money saved for their golden years is being spent picking up out-of-pocket costs their insurance won’t cover.
—Briah Lumpkins, Charlotte Observer, 12 Jan. 2026
The carton will prevent the eggs from picking up odors or flavors from other foods, and prevent moisture loss.
—Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 11 Jan. 2026
The wide-body aircraft market is now picking up steam, said Ron Epstein, aerospace analyst at Bank of America, with orders starting to get handed over faster to customers.
—Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 11 Jan. 2026
Running back Ryan Walters was just shy of 100 yards picking up 99 on 16 carries.
—Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Nov. 2025
Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2026
Age is also key here — the Bulls wouldn’t help themselves by picking up a big who’s already in his late 20s, aging him out of the current plan focused around 21-year-old Matas Buzelis.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 19 Feb. 2026
Shoppers are picking up essentials early, aiming to avoid last-minute trips if roads become unsafe.
—Nicole Nielsen, CBS News, 23 Jan. 2026
Trent Perry is picking up the slack for the UCLA basketball team.
—Daily News, 15 Jan. 2026
But now the money saved for their golden years is being spent picking up out-of-pocket costs their insurance won’t cover.
—Briah Lumpkins, Charlotte Observer, 12 Jan. 2026
The carton will prevent the eggs from picking up odors or flavors from other foods, and prevent moisture loss.
—Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 11 Jan. 2026
The wide-body aircraft market is now picking up steam, said Ron Epstein, aerospace analyst at Bank of America, with orders starting to get handed over faster to customers.
—Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 11 Jan. 2026
Running back Ryan Walters was just shy of 100 yards picking up 99 on 16 carries.
—Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for picking up
Verb
-
Hepburn was known for her distinct voice and cadence, which is something Collins will have to focus on mastering.—
Sarah Sotoodeh , Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
8 Mar. 2026
-
They are credited with mastering the art of wood-grilling.—
Gail Ciampa,
The Providence Journal,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In simple terms, MBE allows scientists to build a crystal layer by layer, almost like assembling a structure with atomic-scale LEGO blocks.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Volunteers worked hard painting and assembling furniture to transform a classroom into a resource room known as Zion's Closet.—
Leondra Head,
CBS News,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Taken together, the collection offers a glimpse into how one of luxury real estate’s most recognizable brokers approaches buying when the deal is his own.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
13 Mar. 2026
-
The bipartisan legislation aims to improve housing affordability and availability by deregulating, expanding existing programs and banning large corporations from buying single-family homes, with few exceptions.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Juraj Slafkovsky put Montreal in front less than five minutes before the second intermission, lifting a wrist shot over Kuemper’s glove from the slot.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Mar. 2026
-
On Sunday afternoon, Nathan MacKinnon scored the decisive goal in a shootout, lifting the Avalanche to a 3-2 come-from-behind win over the Wild in their final meeting of the regular season.—
Jess Myers,
Twin Cities,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Casa Malca remains one of the most visually arresting addresses right on the beach, with 70 suites.—
Gina Góngora,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Our Top Picks Nordic Knots’s elegant Scandinavian style (and penchant for arresting patterns) have made their rugs a hot commodity among design lovers like the AD team since their inception in 2016.—
Nashia Baker,
Architectural Digest,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The experiment didn't last the full year, with the country going back to standard time that October and then resuming daylight saving time on the last Sunday of February in 1975.—
Alex Sundby,
CBS News,
6 Mar. 2026
-
The Abu Dhabi airport was resuming limited flights after it was directly hit with airstrikes over the weekend, but much remained uncertain.—
Sophie Carson,
jsonline.com,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Ryan can't score after trimming more clock.—
American-Statesman staff,
Austin American Statesman,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Despite being outshot through the first two periods, the Cougars hung tough before trimming the Moorhead lead to just one early in the third.—
Frank Rajkowski,
Twin Cities,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The donation was made to the Foundation for New Education Initiatives, a nonprofit organization Carvalho founded to improve learning opportunities for students from lower-income families.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
11 Mar. 2026
-
California has introduced universal pre-kindergarten, and New York City is expanding its pre-kindergarten program to 2-year-olds, giving toddlers an early start on learning.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Picking up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/picking%20up. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.
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