PICKING Synonyms: 180 Similar and Opposite Words

picking 1 of 2

noun

as in choice

the act or process of selecting the picking of new recruits went on for three days

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picking

2 of 2

verb

present participle of pick

as in harvesting

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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in selecting

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in provoking

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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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

Noun

Next month marks the arrival of fall, the quintessential New England season that includes apple picking, crisp autumn air and the arrival of leaf-peeping season. — Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 24 Aug. 2026 Cue the pumpkin spice lattes, flannel shirts, and all of the apple picking. — Molly Burford, Southern Living, 17 Aug. 2026 But hotter springs and summers are accelerating the grape-ripening process, creating more sugary fruit and narrowing the optimum picking window for Champagne. — Jenni Reid, CNBC, 15 Aug. 2026 Most of its performance therefore reflects movements in global equity and bond markets rather than discretionary stock picking. — Bloomberg, Fortune, 12 Aug. 2026 Critics, including some Republicans and economists, warn against the state picking winners and losers. — James K. Glassman, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026 Some fruits, like wild blueberries, are frozen within 24 hours of picking, preserving their taste and vitamin content. — Jamie Johnson, Verywell Health, 6 Aug. 2026 As a bonus, the season also brings plenty of opportunities for apple picking, pumpkin patches, and other seasonal activities. — Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 28 July 2026 Mangoes are ripe for the picking in South Florida and the avocado trees are full. — Amaia Gavica, Miami Herald, 23 July 2026

Verb

Allergists recommend bypassing diphenhydramine (Benadryl) and instead, picking your favorite nonsedating antihistamine pill, like fexofenadine (Allegra), loratadine (Claritin) or cetirizine (Zyrtec), according to the World Allergy Organization. — Dr. Jill Grimes, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026 Now, the state is essentially picking winners, not rescuing big US companies that are deemed critical to the economy. — Norah Rami, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026 Put your ripe-for-the-picking tomatoes to good use with this fresh take on puttanesca. — Maddy Bendgen, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Aug. 2026 One measure of the stock market shows that investors are going to have to get more savvy about picking bets in the future. — Sarah Min, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026 Most people would have a hard time picking it out from the countless other examples peaking above this portion of the river running through Budapest, Hungary. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 27 Aug. 2026 When not picking zucchini, asparagus or other vegetables, Sister Clare Joseph runs the monastery infirmary. — Kelly Wilkinson, IndyStar, 27 Aug. 2026 Another help has been picking different parts of the ball to hit, Stott said — aiming toward the bottom when facing sinkerballers and the top against four-seam throwers. — Charlotte Varnes, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026 The Sunday picnics stopped, as did the fruit-picking excursions and trips to the river. — Rozina Ali, New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for picking

Noun

Nick Pope is also still on Tyneside, even though he has been relegated to third-choice goalkeeper and was made available.

— George Caulkin, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026
That choice could help Antares avoid developing every component specifically for nuclear use.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of choice

Verb

This allows energy-harvesting technology to be integrated directly into architectural elements, such as skyscraper facades, glass windows, and skylights.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 26 Aug. 2026
Agent Mulder, hot on the trail of a group of murderers who are harvesting their victims' organs, breaks into a makeshift laboratory in an attempt to save an abducted woman.

— Brett Tingley, Space.com, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of harvesting

Verb

For example, selecting a chair that encourages an upright posture can reduce pain and injury risk, especially when gamers couple ergonomics with an exercise program that centers on functional strength, mobility and stretching of the upper limbs.

— Erica D. Henn, The Conversation, 28 Aug. 2026
The city will begin the process of selecting a shelter operator next year, Bontrager previously said during a community meeting.

— Camryn Dadey, Sacbee.com, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of selecting

Verb

By the mid-nineteenth century, the it-narrative began to interest authors invested less in provoking excitement than in guiding the moral development of their readers.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2026
Ukraine’s recent strikes into Russia also have exposed weaknesses in Russia’s air defenses, which could prompt Putin to think twice about provoking a retaliatory attack.

— Emma Burrows, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of provoking

Verb

Genji's favorite activities include meeting new people, obsessing over his toys and nibbling on cheese.

— Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2026
And Restore Britain, a far-right party with just one lawmaker but a loud social media presence amplified by Elon Musk, is nibbling away at Reform’s support.

— ABC News, ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of nibbling

Verb

The California woman who fled to Mexico after fatally stabbing her wife, a captain with the state’s wildland firefighting agency, was sentenced this week to 36 years to life in prison, officials said.

— Tim Stelloh, NBC news, 3 Sep. 2026
In June 2018, McFatridge was accused of stabbing his mother with a spear, authorities have said.

— Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of stabbing

Noun

There have been some limited cases in which noncitizens have been criminally charged for voting or attempting to vote, including in Michigan, but it's been rare and not thought to have altered the outcome of any elections.

— Todd Spangler, Freep.com, 4 Sep. 2026
The prime minister raised the death toll to 141 amid conflicting intelligence accounts, mounting humanitarian strain in Ceuta and opposition calls for his resignation and early elections ahead of a national vote next year.

— Suman Naishadham, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of election

Verb

By choosing a highly machinable material and bonding it, Flit achieves a frame that as light and structurally sound as titanium, but at a fraction of the production complexity – and cost.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 29 Aug. 2026
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

Definition of choosing

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pickets

picking

picking at

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Style

“Picking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/picking. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of picking

noun

verb

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