picked 1 of 2

adjective

ˈpikt How to pronounce picked (audio)
Definition of pickednext
as in selected
singled out from a number or group as more to one's liking a picked group of people for the project

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picked

2 of 2

verb

past tense of pick
1
as in harvested
to catch or collect (a crop or natural resource) for human use pick peas and beans from the garden for dinner

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2
as in chose
to decide to accept (someone or something) from a group of possibilities I pick you as my partner

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3
as in provoked
to bring (something volatile or intense) into being he seems to be trying to pick a fight

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4
as in nibbled
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

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5
as in stabbed
to penetrate or hold (something) with a pointed object continued to pick the block of ice until she was able to extract the shrimp

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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 picked
Verb
Each flower must be picked and carefully dissected to remove three tiny red threads, known as stigmas. — Callie Zanandrie, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026 Kreeger and Fernandez Rundle picked through hundreds of dresses, shoes, T-shirts and designer jeans. — Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026 Before jurors were dismissed, a foreperson was selected — the juror in Seat 18 — and the court picked numbers out of a box to decide which jurors would be the alternates. — Sumiko Corley, NBC news, 27 Aug. 2026 Moten is considered one of the top defensive tackles in the nation, and he was picked for multiple preseason All-American teams and watch lists. — Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 27 Aug. 2026 Lauren and David picked their top ten properties from Jaybush’s spreadsheet, and began visiting homes. — Nicola Twilley, New Yorker, 27 Aug. 2026 Iran's Assembly of Experts, a group of 88 clerics, picked the mid-ranking cleric with influence in the country's security forces and business networks to succeed his father, announcing the decision March 8. — Zac Anderson, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026 No league was picked clean this offseason more thoroughly than the American, with four head coaches moving to Power 4 jobs and bringing players with them. — Chris Vannini, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026 Southlake Carroll ramping up Southlake Carroll’s offense picked its moments to strike downfield. — Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for picked
  1. selected
  2. harvested
  3. took
  4. provoked
  5. nibbled
  6. stabbed
  7. select
  8. gathered
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
Verb
  • The berries are harvested throughout much of the year by hand, with workers climbing the tall palm trees to collect the fruit in bunches.
    — Daryl Austin, USA Today, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Then the pulp was harvested, washed, and mixed with sorbitol and cellulose.
    — Maryna Holovnova, New Atlas, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of harvested
Verb
  • Round 8 saw Itauma unleash a salvo of punches on Hrgović, who took them well.
    — Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The Falcons took a lengthy look at their starters and survived a second-half push to earn a 17-12 victory over the Dolphins on Friday night at Hard Rock Stadium.
    — Daniel Flick, AJC.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of took
Verb
  • The comment at a rally last Sunday titillated, provoked and enraged different audiences simultaneously, all but guaranteeing saturation news coverage and even more attention.
    — Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The incidents had provoked international scrutiny of the country’s assault on Gaza.
    — Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of provoked
Verb
  • Kikuko, her appetite sluggish, nibbled the bread bit by bit from the edges, all the while furtively watching her father.
    — Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Threatened by the lack of water and nibbled by starving livestock, the trees that once formed a dense forest in the Somali region of Ethiopia are in danger, locals say.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 10 Apr. 2026
Definition of nibbled
Verb
  • Two people were stabbed, one fatally, near Times Square on Monday afternoon, with responding authorities shooting and killing the female suspect, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said.
    — Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 1 Sep. 2026
  • One of the two people who was stabbed also died, while the other victim was hospitalized in stable condition.
    — Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of stabbed
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
Verb
  • Community members gathered for the town hall Monday night to hear from former employees, community leaders and the president and CEO of Insight, who spoke about his hopes for the now-shuttered West Suburban and Weiss Memorial hospitals.
    — Lisa Schencker, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2026
  • During the surge, the most important of these turned out to be those founded during the upheaval that followed George Floyd’s murder, when residents gathered in nearby parks to organize block associations led by captains.
    — Emily Witt, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of gathered

Phrases Containing picked

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Cite this Entry

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

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