as in choice
the act or process of selecting
the picking of new recruits went on for three days
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in harvesting
to catch or collect (a crop or natural resource) for human use
pick peas and beans from the garden for dinner
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in selecting
to decide to accept (someone or something) from a group of possibilities
I pick you as my partner
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in provoking
to bring (something volatile or intense) into being
he seems to be trying to pick a fight
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in nibbling
to eat reluctantly and in small bites
still suffering from the shock of his wife's death, he could do no more than pick halfheartedly at his food
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in stabbing
to penetrate or hold (something) with a pointed object
continued to pick the block of ice until she was able to extract the shrimp
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of picking
ABC News,
3 July 2026
Beyond the foliage there's apple picking, harvest festivals, Halloween in Salem and a string of storybook towns.
—
Christopher Elliott,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2026
Experience apple picking and cider tastings in Julian or Oak Glen, both known for growing the fruit—and delicious pies.
—
Chelsee Lowe,
Travel + Leisure,
1 July 2026
There are more than 9,000 robots that aide workers in picking, packaging and shipping items.
—
Shannon Tyler,
Idaho Statesman,
26 June 2026
The robot is optimized for material handling, picking, and other high-intensity production-line tasks, reports CNEVPost.
—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
25 June 2026
The 30 picks in the second round are ordered entirely by regular-season records, with the worst team picking 31st and the best picking 60th.
—
Rohan Nadkarni,
NBC news,
24 June 2026
But lucky for you (and for me, frankly), a ton of the best Prime Day deals are under $50 and ripe for the picking.
—
Annie Blackman,
InStyle,
23 June 2026
The Redland rebrand Established in 2024, the Miami Redland Agritourism District allows agricultural businesses in the area to convert 5% of their parcel to venues for dining, fruit picking, family friendly activities, petting zoos, ATV riding, and other activities.
—
Amanda Rosa,
Miami Herald,
19 June 2026
Justice Delos Santos,
Mercury News,
4 July 2026
The studio showed strong instincts when picking creative partners on the horror side, too.
—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
2 July 2026
So for all the initial shock about the Dolphins picking Proctor at 12, the Alabama rookie had some strong believers in the top 11 of the first round.
—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
2 July 2026
After picking the Wolverines over Penn State and Minnesota in June, Emedobi will look to join the list of moldable edge prospects who became NFL Draft picks at Michigan.
—
Austin Meek,
New York Times,
2 July 2026
If growing or picking English cucumbers, pick them at their height of ripeness because after they are picked, they are done ripening.
—
Aly Walansky,
Southern Living,
2 July 2026
Investors have long tracked Berkshire Hathaway’s stock portfolio, on the premise that Warren Buffett has a knack for picking winners.
—
Catherine Brock,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2026
Meanwhile, Maura Higgins went fully on-theme, wearing all white and picking heels with tiny tennis balls attached.
—
Alex Apatoff,
PEOPLE,
1 July 2026
One of the first tips for picking the perfect melon is its weight.
—
Alexandra Frost,
USA Today,
29 June 2026
Noun
During this visit to shore, his 12th, his crimes have included picking fights with parked cars and smashing through barriers erected to keep him off roads.
—
ABC News,
3 July 2026
Beyond the foliage there's apple picking, harvest festivals, Halloween in Salem and a string of storybook towns.
—
Christopher Elliott,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2026
Experience apple picking and cider tastings in Julian or Oak Glen, both known for growing the fruit—and delicious pies.
—
Chelsee Lowe,
Travel + Leisure,
1 July 2026
There are more than 9,000 robots that aide workers in picking, packaging and shipping items.
—
Shannon Tyler,
Idaho Statesman,
26 June 2026
The robot is optimized for material handling, picking, and other high-intensity production-line tasks, reports CNEVPost.
—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
25 June 2026
The 30 picks in the second round are ordered entirely by regular-season records, with the worst team picking 31st and the best picking 60th.
—
Rohan Nadkarni,
NBC news,
24 June 2026
But lucky for you (and for me, frankly), a ton of the best Prime Day deals are under $50 and ripe for the picking.
—
Annie Blackman,
InStyle,
23 June 2026
The Redland rebrand Established in 2024, the Miami Redland Agritourism District allows agricultural businesses in the area to convert 5% of their parcel to venues for dining, fruit picking, family friendly activities, petting zoos, ATV riding, and other activities.
—
Amanda Rosa,
Miami Herald,
19 June 2026
Verb
Bryce Eldridge handled the rest, picking Schmitt’s throw out of the dirt to complete the double play.
—
Justice Delos Santos,
Mercury News,
4 July 2026
The studio showed strong instincts when picking creative partners on the horror side, too.
—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
2 July 2026
So for all the initial shock about the Dolphins picking Proctor at 12, the Alabama rookie had some strong believers in the top 11 of the first round.
—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
2 July 2026
After picking the Wolverines over Penn State and Minnesota in June, Emedobi will look to join the list of moldable edge prospects who became NFL Draft picks at Michigan.
—
Austin Meek,
New York Times,
2 July 2026
If growing or picking English cucumbers, pick them at their height of ripeness because after they are picked, they are done ripening.
—
Aly Walansky,
Southern Living,
2 July 2026
Investors have long tracked Berkshire Hathaway’s stock portfolio, on the premise that Warren Buffett has a knack for picking winners.
—
Catherine Brock,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2026
Meanwhile, Maura Higgins went fully on-theme, wearing all white and picking heels with tiny tennis balls attached.
—
Alex Apatoff,
PEOPLE,
1 July 2026
One of the first tips for picking the perfect melon is its weight.
—
Alexandra Frost,
USA Today,
29 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for picking
Noun
-
Miltos’ Greek Table at Andronis Luxury Suites is the Oia choice for travelers who want romance.
-
Vic makes some baffling choices here, buzzing in twice on the first word in the series without hearing the rest, and getting eliminated from multiple rounds five seconds in.
Verb
-
Since radishes mature much more quickly than carrots, harvesting them creates room for the carrots to fully mature.
-
Historians estimate that people have been growing and harvesting olives for some 8,000 years.
Verb
-
In Buffalo, New York, the 2026 NHL draft action kicked off with the Toronto Maple Leafs selecting Penn State winger Gavin McKenna – a pick most people expected would open the night.
-
While selecting pieces for the exhibit, Pacini visited the carousel in storage.
Verb
-
If that conversation also seems too anxiety-provoking, focus on modes of communication that do feel accessible to you.
-
Temperatures reached historic highs Historic high temperatures in 2003, surpassed this time, were blamed for 15,000 deaths, provoking a national reckoning about care of older people, who were particularly hard-hit.
Verb
-
While nibbling deer and pesky rodents might require one approach, something else, like snakes, will require another.
-
Other snaps saw the Selena actress lounging in silk pajamas, celebrating her kids' graduations, eating a huge croissant, nibbling on a chocolate bar in bed, and posing for a selfie on a couch.
Verb
-
The film centers on a New York murder trial where a teenage boy is accused of stabbing his abusive dad and a jury has the kid's fate in their hands.
-
In one instance, the suspect is accused of personally taking part in the killing by stabbing a victim in the chest with a knife, the prosecutors said.
Noun
-
Some of the impetus behind her bill revolved around the June 2 Fresno City Council election.
-
Trump and his supporters have repeatedly pushed Senate leaders to abolish the filibuster to pass the election bill, but there's also insufficient support to drastically change the chamber's procedures.
Verb
-
On an album centered on killing ego and embracing growth, the response feels less like avoidance and more like a man choosing peace over proving a point.
-
That means creating an easily navigable layout, incorporating soft, inviting textures and materials, and choosing extra-comfortable furniture.
Cite this Entry
“Picking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/picking. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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