picks off

Definition of picks offnext
present tense third-person singular of pick off
as in intercepts
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 picks off George Rose / Getty Images Over the course of his NFL playing days, Jim had 19 interceptions, including picks off the likes of legendary quarterbacks like Len Dawson, Archie Manning and Joe Namath. Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 17 Feb. 2026 On another night, Notre Dame picks off Reed two or three times. Pete Sampson, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for picks off
Verb
  • The following month, Iran fires nearly 200 missiles at Israel, which intercepts most of them but promises retaliation.
    Erin Mansfield, USA Today, 1 Mar. 2026
  • In a sleepy town, a switchboard operator and a radio DJ investigate a strange audio signal that intercepts the latter’s broadcast.
    Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Barber then grabs her firearm from her vehicle and Riley's girlfriend also retrieves an item from the vehicle, according to the complaint.
    Drake Bentley, jsonline.com, 6 Mar. 2026
  • Isabelle slides off Sarah’s lap, flings the towel, pulls on her swimming mask, grabs her mom’s hand and tugs her toward the pool.
    Gerald Witt, AJC.com, 1 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • The lawsuit says the administration's decision to place the firm on what is effectively a blacklist that blocks Pentagon suppliers from using Claude is an attempt to punish the company over its AI guardrails.
    Bobby Allyn, NPR, 9 Mar. 2026
  • As their bold production takes shape, a rival white theatre mounts its own Richard III just blocks away, threatening to undermine, overshadow, and outmaneuver them.
    Cincinnati Enquirer, Cincinnati Enquirer, 7 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Picks off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/picks%20off. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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