PICKING UP Synonyms: 333 Similar and Opposite Words

picking up

verb

present participle of pick up

as in mastering

to acquire complete knowledge, understanding, or skill in he has a knack for picking up a language in a few weeks

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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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

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 up Henderson sent several texts to a partner at DTLA about picking up checks for his work in Val Verde, according to messages reviewed by The Times. — Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2026 Later in the second half, Olise teed up Ousmane Dembele with prodded outside-of-the-boot passes after picking up loose balls in front of the defence. — Thom Harris, New York Times, 4 July 2026 Especially at Louisville, just making that big jump, picking up full court, just being a dog, being scrappy, getting through screens, just everything like that. — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 25 June 2026 Reese looked cooked after picking up four quick fouls in the first half, spending way too much time riding the pine. — Alejandro Avila Outkick, FOXNews.com, 19 June 2026 Folks shivering in the freezing cold to deliver our packages, picking up trash to keep our parks clean. — Sara Tenenbaum, CBS News, 18 June 2026 These crafts are perfect for putting down your phone and picking up a creative outlet. — Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 June 2026 Be sure to give your eyes time to adjust and use your phone's camera to scan the sky, as your phone's camera is better at picking up faint auroras than the naked eye. — Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 4 June 2026 Residents, businesses and organizations are also invited to participate in the department’s 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline awareness campaign by picking up a 988 yard sign at the county office at 2170 Point Blvd. — Mike Danahey, Chicago Tribune, 14 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for picking up

Verb

But Scheft and his team are mastering the subtle differences and plan to offer many of the same loaves available in Boston, though the bakeries will have a few different offerings.

— Connie Ogle July 17, Miami Herald, 17 July 2026
Recognizing this is a skill that Yamal seems to be mastering early.

— Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 15 July 2026

Definition of mastering

Verb

Recipe Tips for Sailor Sandwich Browning the pastrami and knockwurst before assembling the sandwich builds flavor and removes moisture from the meats, which helps keep the bread crisp.

— Erin Merhar, Southern Living, 15 July 2026
The company is now assembling the Starcloud-2 mission, a 450 kg satellite with 8 kW of power generation.

— Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 15 July 2026

Definition of assembling

Verb

Bristol Myers Squibb is buying Nvidia 's newest enterprise AI computing system to use for drug discovery and development.

— Jim Cramer, CNBC, 20 July 2026
Former executives, consultants, accountants, engineers, and finance professionals increasingly see buying a business as a legitimate entrepreneurial career path.

— Melissa Houston, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026

Definition of buying

Verb

That being said, real-estate experts say buyers may finally be gaining a bit more breathing room as the market holds steady.

— Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 19 July 2026
Voters have overwhelmingly reauthorized the program, most recently gaining nearly 80% of the vote in 2016.

— Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 18 July 2026

Definition of gaining

Verb

Saudi Arabia briefly issued warnings in two locations before lifting them several minutes later, saying the danger had passed.

— Monica Haider, CNN Money, 18 July 2026
Max Muncy hit a two-run homer in the seventh inning on Gerrit Cole's 103rd and final pitch, lifting the Los Angeles Dodgers over the New York Yankees 2-1 on Friday night in their first game in the Bronx since winning the 2024 World Series.

— ABC News, ABC News, 17 July 2026

Definition of lifting

Verb

After arresting the suspect, Rasiel Joel Carbuccia, 20, of Jamaica Plain, the two officers who were shot at were evaluated on the scene, to make sure they weren’t injured, then transported to a local hospital, police said.

— Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 16 July 2026
The two arresting officers testified they were never sequestered after Ramirez went unresponsive, a failure Brentwood’s police chief attributed to the weeklong delay between the arrest and Ramirez’s death.

— Hema Sivanandam, Mercury News, 15 July 2026

Definition of arresting

Verb

Grocery Outlet is resuming its expansion in California, with a new Ontario Ranch store opening July 23 and fresh branches coming to Ramona , San Francisco, Clovis and Petaluma.

— Lily Wright, Los Angeles Times, 15 July 2026
The stock has experienced several sharp swings in both directions, with pullbacks consistently finding support near the lower boundary of the channel before resuming higher.

— Frank Cappelleri, CNBC, 15 July 2026

Definition of resuming

Verb

Rather than just trimming stems and plopping them in a vase, reflexing plays with the form of the flower by gently folding petals backwards to open up the bloom.

— Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 18 July 2026
Even the Oklahoma City Thunder, who are still sitting on a huge haul of future draft capital, had to start trimming their supporting cast this offseason because Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams’ max extensions kicked in.

— Bryan Toporek, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026