picking off

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 Ethan O’Connor had a highlight late in the game, picking off a pass from Lopez inside the Miami 5-yard line. Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 19 Sep. 2026 After leading the team in the preseason with 16 tackles and picking off multiple passes in training camp, the staff elected to go with Alijah Clark instead for special teams purposes. Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Aug. 2026 The Centurion defense played a big part in things, picking off five Olympian passes. Kevin J. Farmer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Aug. 2026 Gullion has observed such grouse picking off nearly 50 buds per minute. Tom Huggler, Outdoor Life, 13 Aug. 2026 In the version that had taken shape in my mind over time, he was perched in a clinic window, picking off random people in the parking lot. Margrét Ann Thors, PEOPLE, 2 Aug. 2026 However, working against the backup units, Kilgore has found himself around the ball quite a bit, even picking off an inaccurate pass from Shane Buechele on Saturday. Joe Buscaglia, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for picking off
Verb
  • In recent weeks, SOUTHCOM has also released several videos showing military personnel intercepting and boarding vessels allegedly involved in narco-trafficking before removing their crews and sinking the boats.
    Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 20 Sep. 2026
  • Iran's Foreign Ministry said a claim of intercepting a drone shouldn't be used to escalate tensions.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 18 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The helicopter crashed in a driveway between two warehouses, smashing into a pair of truck cargo containers while the news crew tried grabbing video footage of a serious collision involving a Metro bus that also left two people dead.
    Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Schlereth, a former Pro Bowl guard, did not agree with the penalty in general, as Brewer was grabbing Raiders defensive tackle Folorunso Fatukasi’s jersey in the chest area.
    David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 18 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • At one point relatively early in Resident Evil, our hapless hero must creep through a large camper van that is blocking his exit from a tunnel.
    Jesse Hassenger, Vulture, 17 Sep. 2026
  • As the lead-blocking back on Kenneth Walker III’s 60-yard touchdown run on a fourth-and-1 early in the third quarter, Tonga sealed the edge and allowed Walker to bounce outside.
    Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 17 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Picking off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/picking%20off. Accessed 22 Sep. 2026.

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