picking off

verb

present participle of pick off
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of picking off When a masked slasher in a Ghostface mask begins picking off kids at Sidney’s high school, everyone puts their heads together to pinpoint the killer. — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 9 June 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for picking off
  1. intercepting
  2. grabbing
  3. blocking
Verb
  • Zelensky has frequently appealed for more Patriot and other air defense systems capable of intercepting ballistic missiles.
    — Tim Lister, CNN Money, 26 July 2026
  • Bryce Fitzgerald was a ball hawk as a freshman for the Hurricanes, intercepting a team-high six passes (tied for the second most in the country) despite not being a full-time starter.
    — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 22 July 2026
Definition of intercepting
Verb
  • Because of the abyss that comes into play in the mid-30s at RB, grabbing a RB (or two) in the first three tiers is crucial.
    — Jake Ciely, New York Times, 31 July 2026
  • The 35-year-old actor is often photographed doing deeply ordinary things around Manhattan—grabbing coffee, running errands, walking to wherever—wearing outfits that shouldn’t always work but somehow do.
    — Sam Reed, Glamour, 30 July 2026
Definition of grabbing
Verb
  • When Duterte refused, China began blocking Filipino fishermen from the shoal again.
    — Jill Goldenziel, Forbes.com, 30 July 2026
  • The prior month a federal court judge issued a temporary restraining order blocking agents from using racial profiling to carry out indiscriminate arrests in Southern California.
    — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026
Definition of blocking

Browse Nearby Words

picking at
picking off
picking on
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Picking off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/picking%20off. Accessed 1 Aug. 2026.

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