picked off; picking off; picks off
1
: to shoot or bring down especially one by one
2
: to put out (a base runner who is off base) with a quick throw (as from the pitcher or catcher)
3
: intercept
picked off a pass
Examples of pickoff in a Sentence
Noun
He made a pickoff throw to third base.
Verb
picked off more passes than any other player in the division
Recent Examples on the Web
Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 18 Jan. 2026
McMillian's controversial pickoff was Denver's fifth takeaway of the game and would be Allen's last pass of the season.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 18 Jan. 2026
Greg Dudek, Hartford Courant, 9 Feb. 2026
So could Patriots safety Jaylinn Hawkins, who went to school at nearby Cal, possibly pick off his old Pac-12 rival Sam Darnold?
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 8 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pickoff
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Noun
There were plenty of laughs, as Montero imitated Lester’s pickoff throw and the players told some clubhouse stories, including some fights.
—Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 18 Jan. 2026
McMillian's controversial pickoff was Denver's fifth takeaway of the game and would be Allen's last pass of the season.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 18 Jan. 2026
Verb
But with a shot to cut into that deficit more after the Patriots defense forced a three-and-out, Maye forced an unneeded desperation pass downfield to Kyle Williams, which was nowhere close to the rookie wideout and easily picked off by Julian Love.
—Greg Dudek, Hartford Courant, 9 Feb. 2026
So could Patriots safety Jaylinn Hawkins, who went to school at nearby Cal, possibly pick off his old Pac-12 rival Sam Darnold?
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 8 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pickoff
Cite this Entry
“Pickoff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pickoff. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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