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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in growing (in)
to gradually increase in
the boat was just picking up speed when it was rammed by another boat
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of picking up
While reflecting on her first performance, Furtado remembered buying the pink dress from a store called Original on Queen West in Toronto, and also picking up some sparkly platform shoes for the monumental moment.
—
Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
Nelson’s defense gave up 158 total yards, with the Texans picking up just 41 yards on the ground on 30 attempts.
—Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Oct. 2025
Mitchell Summers rambled for 250 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries, including an 80-yard score, while Jack Snyder threw for 147 yards and a TD while picking up 68 yards on the ground.
—Kilty Cleary, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Oct. 2025
With the strong onshore winds picking up as the storm begins tracking north, coastal flooding will also exacerbate any flooding that occurs from heavy rainfall.
—Kyle Reiman, ABC News, 11 Oct. 2025
An army of around 200 volunteers from the church and several charities were making food, picking up trash, guiding guests and MC'ing dance showcases, said Mary Cantrell, who has been a key organizer since 1993.
—Arkansas Online, 5 Oct. 2025
Everton are picking up the pieces after a decade of turmoil.
—Oliver Kay, New York Times, 21 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
Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
Nelson’s defense gave up 158 total yards, with the Texans picking up just 41 yards on the ground on 30 attempts.
—Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Oct. 2025
Mitchell Summers rambled for 250 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries, including an 80-yard score, while Jack Snyder threw for 147 yards and a TD while picking up 68 yards on the ground.
—Kilty Cleary, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Oct. 2025
With the strong onshore winds picking up as the storm begins tracking north, coastal flooding will also exacerbate any flooding that occurs from heavy rainfall.
—Kyle Reiman, ABC News, 11 Oct. 2025
An army of around 200 volunteers from the church and several charities were making food, picking up trash, guiding guests and MC'ing dance showcases, said Mary Cantrell, who has been a key organizer since 1993.
—Arkansas Online, 5 Oct. 2025
Everton are picking up the pieces after a decade of turmoil.
—Oliver Kay, New York Times, 21 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for picking up
Verb
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From canning tomatoes to mastering yeast rises, these culinary arts combine utility with pleasure.—
Alesandra Dubin,
Southern Living,
21 Oct. 2025
-
Waiting almost guarantees you’ll be left behind by competitors who are already mastering a technology that will create order-of-magnitude shifts in business models.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Music reality series focused on assembling a group have been around for years.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Coaching the Crew The crew — including two backup crew members, NASA astronaut Andre Douglas and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jenni Gibbons — have been just as busy as the people assembling their spacecraft.—
Matt Alderton,
USA Today,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Billups was arrested less than nine hours after Portland’s season-opening season-opening loss at home, a game notably attended by the team’s current owner and a financier in the process of buying the franchise.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
24 Oct. 2025
-
If length is typically a determining factor when buying pants, the trousers are available in three inseam options to ensure shoppers of all heights can find the right fit.—
Rachel Trujillo,
PEOPLE,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The former Blaugrana standout scored twice in the 2022 final as well as netting his penalty in the shootout on his way to lifting soccer’s most prestigious trophy.—
Frank Nunns O'Connell,
CNN Money,
28 Oct. 2025
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Later, the humanoids got up in a human-like manner, first lifting their legs and using their hip joint to get up and come back to their original standing position.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Turner spoke with an arresting conviction, locating Canada’s fate in geography, history, and its defining quest to defy manifest destiny and political gravity.—
Dónal Gill,
The Dial,
28 Oct. 2025
-
In Douala, Cameroon’s economic hub, security forces used water cannons and tear gas to disperse thousands of protesters, arresting close to 100.—
Amindeh Blaise Atabong,
semafor.com,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Israel is preparing for an election year during which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be wary of resuming a total war.—
Oren Liebermann,
CNN Money,
29 Oct. 2025
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On an extended trip to Messina, Haeckel set about resuming Müller’s radiolarian work.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Adams’ Exit Narrows the Field After Mayor Eric Adams dropped out of the race, much of his support appeared to transfer to Cuomo, trimming Mamdani’s lead.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
-
After trimming a 17-point third quarter deficit to 12 to start the fourth quarter, Kerr sent the starters back out to begin the fourth quarter.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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This year, during their time in the class, students also participate in volunteer activities, like grave cleaning, to give back to the community while learning about the city’s history, Gavagan said.—
Alyssa N. Salcedo,
jsonline.com,
23 Oct. 2025
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Employees like our new machine learning engineer will be able to keep working productively, but their salary will benefit another country.—
Ben Zweig,
Time,
23 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Picking up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/picking%20up. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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