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
Central had two players that had 20 or more carries with Martin picking up 129 yards on 22 carries and Taylor with 75 yards on 23 totes.
—
Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Sep. 2025
Everton are picking up the pieces after a decade of turmoil.
—Oliver Kay, New York Times, 21 Sep. 2025
The group is then seen picking up their belongings and walking away while the woman is on the ground, according to the documents.
—Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 19 Sep. 2025
None are 100% at picking up cognitive issues.
—Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
Firefighters are staffing the fire through the night as winds are picking up again this evening, similar to last night.
—Ca Wildfire Bot, Sacbee.com, 30 Aug. 2025
Residents and students on their way home and parents picking up children from day care were caught in a tense lockdown that stretched into the night.
—Kathleen Magramo, CNN Money, 9 Aug. 2025
Blackshear fell to the ground before picking up 2 yards, and the ball was placed on the Carolina 9-yard line for the Panthers’ first offensive possession.
—Charlotte Observer, 9 Aug. 2025
Now, his son picking up the pace balling out.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 9 Aug. 2025
Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Sep. 2025
Everton are picking up the pieces after a decade of turmoil.
—Oliver Kay, New York Times, 21 Sep. 2025
The group is then seen picking up their belongings and walking away while the woman is on the ground, according to the documents.
—Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 19 Sep. 2025
None are 100% at picking up cognitive issues.
—Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
Firefighters are staffing the fire through the night as winds are picking up again this evening, similar to last night.
—Ca Wildfire Bot, Sacbee.com, 30 Aug. 2025
Residents and students on their way home and parents picking up children from day care were caught in a tense lockdown that stretched into the night.
—Kathleen Magramo, CNN Money, 9 Aug. 2025
Blackshear fell to the ground before picking up 2 yards, and the ball was placed on the Carolina 9-yard line for the Panthers’ first offensive possession.
—Charlotte Observer, 9 Aug. 2025
Now, his son picking up the pace balling out.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 9 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for picking up
Verb
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For Minha, the biggest challenge was mastering the North Korean dialect.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
25 Sep. 2025
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While the core responsibility of a long snapper may look simple — hike a ball backward and let a punter or kicker do the rest — job security comes from mastering the many intricacies of the position.—
Greg Rosenstein,
NBC news,
20 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Soon, the show introduces the Guinness family enforcer Sean Rafferty, a steely and strong-jawed James Norton, who’s assembling his men to tamp down on the protestors.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
25 Sep. 2025
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As the time went by, viewers saw the couple — who tied the knot in 2018 — getting ultrasounds, assembling various baby toys and setting up their nursery, which McCreery told PEOPLE was Winnie the Pooh-themed.—
Kayla Grant,
PEOPLE,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Why accurate home values matter Whether buying or selling, a home’s value affects price, closing costs, down payments, insurance, equity and more.—
Mary Beth Eastman,
USA Today,
25 Sep. 2025
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Adams first got a hankering for the brand when her Alaskan adventurer father started buying its clothes and gave her the catalogues.—
Rosemary Feitelberg,
Footwear News,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
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We’re surrounded by empty sand dunes, and the fog is lifting.—
Sabrina Weiss,
The Dial,
23 Sep. 2025
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Nvidia shares jumped nearly 4% on Monday following the announcement, lifting the S & P 500 to another all-time high.—
Yun Li,
CNBC,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Nighttime Sounds blends social realism with surrealist elements to tell a moving and visually arresting story about the burdens and desires harbored by women in China’s rural villages.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
19 Sep. 2025
-
Set in Syracuse in the ‘90s, Blyth plays a police officer tasked with arresting men in public bathrooms when he becomes entangled with one of his targets (Tovey) in a film that’s part love story, part self-discovery and grounded in a nostalgic time before smartphones and dating apps.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Search operations were paused on Wednesday evening before resuming Thursday morning with additional resources from Idaho Mountain Search and Rescue and Snake River Search and Rescue.—
Jenna Sundel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Sep. 2025
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The railway suspended services on Monday, resuming services two days later.—
Ashley J. DiMella,
FOXNews.com,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Its trimming rippled in the afternoon wind.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Sep. 2025
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While Ford is pivoting towards hybrids, other automakers like GM are trimming their workforce and slowing electric production.—
Stuart Dyos,
Nashville Tennessean,
21 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Sachs has been a bridge player since age 12, learning the game from his parents.—
Jan Goldsmith,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 Sep. 2025
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Another example of a property-rich district is Anchorage, where far fewer students come from impoverished households, are learning to speak English as a second language or have other special education needs.—
Krista Johnson,
Louisville Courier Journal,
25 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Picking up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/picking%20up. Accessed 30 Sep. 2025.
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