PICKING UP Synonyms: 333 Similar and Opposite Words

picking up

verb

Definition of picking up next

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 Shoppers are picking up essentials early, aiming to avoid last-minute trips if roads become unsafe. —

Nicole Nielsen, CBS News, 23 Jan. 2026 Trent Perry is picking up the slack for the UCLA basketball team. —

Daily News, 15 Jan. 2026 But now the money saved for their golden years is being spent picking up out-of-pocket costs their insurance won’t cover. —

Briah Lumpkins, Charlotte Observer, 12 Jan. 2026 The carton will prevent the eggs from picking up odors or flavors from other foods, and prevent moisture loss. —

Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 11 Jan. 2026 The wide-body aircraft market is now picking up steam, said Ron Epstein, aerospace analyst at Bank of America, with orders starting to get handed over faster to customers. —

Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 11 Jan. 2026 Running back Ryan Walters was just shy of 100 yards picking up 99 on 16 carries. —

Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Nov. 2025 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 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for picking up

Verb

Despite the long history of elite WTA players mastering the art of the moonball, Caroline Wozniacki and Angelique Kerber chief among them, sending tennis balls into the atmosphere still draws out the sport’s eternal, often cursed relationship between style and ethics.

— James Hansen, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026
The percentage of third-graders mastering grade level performance in reading increased from 18% in 2024 to 21% in 2025, according to officials.

— Lina Ruiz, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Feb. 2026