HANDPICKED Synonyms: 57 Similar and Opposite Words

handpicked 1 of 2

adjective

as in selected

singled out from a number or group as more to one's liking the senator's handpicked campaign staff

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

handpicked

2 of 2

verb

past tense of handpick

as in picked

to decide to accept (someone or something) from a group of possibilities handpicked what she considered to be the cutest kitten from the litter

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 handpicked

Adjective

The judge ruled that Kennedy’s handpicked advisors were appointed improperly. — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 18 June 2026 Warsh comes in as the handpicked nominee of a president who has been bullying the Fed for years for lower rates. — Steve Liesman, CNBC, 16 June 2026 The strategy may bring poor short-term optics for Schumer and give Republicans and Democratic primary opponents something to attack his handpicked candidates on. — Ramsey Touchberry, The Washington Examiner, 28 Mar. 2026 Yet the handpicked chair of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has downplayed the importance of the vaccine for measles, as well as for polio and other highly contagious, deadly diseases. — Jerome Adams, Fortune, 7 Mar. 2026 Al Olszewski, a former state senator who is running for Zinke's seat, accused both Daines and Zinke of betraying the people of Montana and urged voters to reject their handpicked successors. — Matthew Brown The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 6 Mar. 2026 Nance proposed bringing the story of rampant fraud to a handpicked journalist, who would interview a suspect cooperating with police, a retailer and someone whose identity had been stolen for the scam. — Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026 Unlike Chapek, who alienated Disney’s creative divisions by having the media chiefs report to his handpicked ally, Kareem Daniel, there’s a sense that D’Amaro will approach the task with more delicacy, giving Walden a level of autonomy. — Brent Lang, Variety, 25 Feb. 2026 This was followed by roughly fifteen minutes of panicked tinkering as his handpicked team of elite coders tried to get their product back online. — Sam Kriss, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for handpicked

Adjective

Some cool features include a kill switch that automatically disconnects you from the internet if the VPN connection fails, as well as split tunneling that allows selected apps to use the VPN connection while others transmit data in clear text.

— K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 25 June 2026
These pre-selected fighter pilots and their families moved into their apartments during the summer of 1960 after residing at the Frunze Central Airfield in Moscow.

— Jeff Spry, Space.com, 27 May 2026

Definition of selected

Adjective

Verizon is offering up to $830 off the whole iPhone 17 series with the trade-in of an eligible old (or even damaged) phone and a qualified activation for select Verizon myPlan plans.

— Kelsey Fogarty, PC Magazine, 31 Aug. 2026
Mamdani’s signature 2-K program is scheduled to launch this fall with 2,000 students in select school districts, with the goal of expanding citywide over four years.

— Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of select

Adjective

My favorite scare must have been accomplished with the person-doubling technology from The Prestige.

— Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 26 Aug. 2026
It's positioned by the infinity pool and our favorite slice of sand, where beanbag loungers squat in front of a cocktail bar and a cinema-sized projector on movie nights.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of favorite

Adjective

The clearest sign of the change came in 2024, when a study recorded Americans choosing cannabis over alcohol for daily consumption, marking the first time in history that cannabis has overtaken alcohol as the preferred daily substance.

— Dario Sabaghi, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
This week, the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation metric, the Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) price index, along with the final US first-quarter GDP reading, will also be released.

— , CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of preferred

Browse Nearby Words

handpick

handpicked

handpicking

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Handpicked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/handpicked. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of handpicked

adjective

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

conscientious

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Popular in Wordplay

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Games & Quizzes