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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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

By 2002, the group had disbanded, but some of its members founded TOOOL and went on to launch yearly lock-picking competitions. — Shayla Love, New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2026 Hilton’s ‘travel with purpose’ program encourages employees to engage in community projects such as litter picking, cleaning river banks, and helping young people with CV writing. — Sam Forsdick, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2026 Guests can also look forward to pumpkin picking, the seasonal corn maze, and other fresh goods sold at the Apple Barrel Farm Market. — Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 2 Oct. 2026 The company’s website describes Nucleus as providing humanoid labor to factories by the hour, with current applications including parts picking, shelf loading, product handling, and cart transport. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 2 Oct. 2026 Travel experts recommend Washington for an autumn escape filled with golden larches, apple picking, wine tasting, misty rainforests, and charming mountain towns. — Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 21 Sep. 2026 The hour captures Strings and his four-piece acoustic band — mandolin, upright bass, banjo and fiddle — in classic picking session formation, with a setlist that also includes selections from 2021’s Renewal. — Spin Staff, SPIN, 18 Sep. 2026 In one photo from the outing, Sterling sat on her dad’s shoulders while apple picking. — Alexandra Schonfeld, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2026 Activities include pumpkin picking, lawn games, hayrides, sack races, animal encounters, corn bins, a kids’ hay maze, historic machinery demonstrations, gold panning, barrel train rides and more. — Sarah Kuta, Denver Post, 17 Sep. 2026

Verb

While the three were picking their way through a clump of trees at the far end of the cornfield, half a dozen does came out of the willows single file, walked under my platform within six yards of me, and started to feed. — Al Dawson, Outdoor Life, 15 Oct. 2026 The farm’s famous U-Pick strawberries are expected to be ready for picking Thursdays through Saturdays by Christmas in the adjacent property. — Kari Barnett, Sun Sentinel, 14 Oct. 2026 Fraser is not alone in picking his second right away; Alex makes Matt his lead deckhand, given his plentiful experience. — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 13 Oct. 2026 Dermatologists can tailor treatments, from over-the-counter creams to prescription medications; avoid picking pimples, which can worsen inflammation and increase scarring. — Adithi Ramakrishnan, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026 Breaking from decades of tradition, the GHSA is picking and seeding playoff teams in its eight 32-team brackets using a math model and not region finish this football season. — Todd Holcomb, AJC.com, 13 Oct. 2026 But many investors remain optimistic in the stock market, as its resilience over the last four years reflects strong fundamental earnings amid the AI build-out — though picking the winners may get trickier. — Sarah Min, CNBC, 12 Oct. 2026 California is home to lots of great schools, and picking one can seem daunting. — Anne Ewbank, Sacbee.com, 12 Oct. 2026 In other words, were people intentionally picking the most desirable plants for breeding? — Ornob Alam, The Conversation, 12 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for picking

Noun

As private longing collides with honor and social codes, each character has to reckon with what their choices cost.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026
The choices are housed in the Atelier Vivier MTO cabinet, a silver console containing the available materials and hardware, while a digital component allows clients to visualize combinations before production begins.

— Thomas Waller, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of choice

Verb

The Abu Falah attack followed a similar attack on Friday morning in the area of Turmus Ayya village, where settlers burned three cars after attacking a group of farmers harvesting olives.

— Reuters, NBC news, 16 Oct. 2026
But to the brothers, harvesting their own food represents more than providing meals for their families.

— Peter Burke, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of harvesting

Verb

Because mRNA vaccines can be developed and manufactured more quickly than traditional shots, scientists could wait until later in the year before selecting which influenza strains to target.

— Claire Maldarelli, Scientific American, 16 Oct. 2026
This includes selecting suitable cutting tools, refining machining procedures, and incorporating robotic arms into assembly tasks.

— Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of selecting

Verb

The same principle applies to debates about religion, economics and virtually any subject capable of provoking strong emotions.

— Rabbi Bruce D. Forman, Sun Sentinel, 13 Oct. 2026
From this format emerges the tacit thesis that the Bicentennial cultural activities excelled at provoking critical, imaginative reflections on America’s past and future from artmakers and from ordinary citizens alike.

— Anna Kornbluh, ARTnews.com, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of provoking

Verb

Not going full bore, as Jim said during Wednesday’s Morning Meeting, but nibbling.

— Zev Fima, CNBC, 30 Sep. 2026
At the event, some rugs were laid out on the grass in lieu of picnic blankets for guests to lounge on while nibbling on light bites; others were suspended from metal frames like tapestries.

— Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of nibbling

Verb

On April 21, 2023, Garr was walking up Bridge Street in Drexel Hill when police said Weh brutally attacked him, stabbing and slashing the 15-year-old 11 times.

— Joe Holden, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026
The 40-foot homemade boat was overloaded with 64 people, who panicked and jumped overboard after De La Rosa began stabbing people, a Homeland Security Investigations criminal complaint states.

— David Goodhue October 12, Miami Herald, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of stabbing

Noun

Her party is already the largest opposition party in parliament, and a snap legislative election following the presidential vote could entrench it further.

— Nicholas Bequelin, Time, 16 Oct. 2026
The Justice Department has charged about 90 people for various types of election misconduct so far this year, including 50 who are said to have voted as noncitizens.

— SAFIYAH RIDDLE, Arkansas Online, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of election

Verb

Price optimization means choosing prices that advance business goals, such as increasing profits, attracting shoppers or clearing unsold goods.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2026
Traditionally, choosing a nozzle size involves a compromise between detail and speed.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of choosing

Browse Nearby Words

pickets

picking

picking at

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Picking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/picking. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of picking

noun

verb

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