PICKING UP Synonyms: 333 Similar and Opposite Words

picking up

verb

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 The production ultimately ran Off-Broadway for three years, picking up seven major awards along the way, including the Lucille Lortel and Off-Broadway Alliance awards for Best New Musical. — Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 28 Aug. 2026 The couple were seen picking up coffees at Present & Correct and visiting IDEA Books in Soho. — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 22 Aug. 2026 Her then husband and the father of her children, Patrick Clancy, was out picking up dinner and stopping at a nearby CVS. — Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2026 Dreyer will be suspended for San Diego's next match after picking up a red card in the seventh minute of stoppage time. — ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026 But the split used to be much different, with tuition providing just about a quarter of revenue and state and local governments picking up the rest. — Jessica Dickler, CNBC, 15 Aug. 2026 Henderson sent several texts to a partner at DTLA about picking up checks for his work in Val Verde, according to messages reviewed by The Times. — Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2026 Later in the second half, Olise teed up Ousmane Dembele with prodded outside-of-the-boot passes after picking up loose balls in front of the defence. — Thom Harris, New York Times, 4 July 2026 Especially at Louisville, just making that big jump, picking up full court, just being a dog, being scrappy, getting through screens, just everything like that. — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 25 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for picking up

Verb

But for a novice, relying on AI before mastering the fundamentals creates a technical debt that leads to a lack of depth.

— Jason Corso, Time, 26 Aug. 2026
But what if the biggest output of mastering AI isn't actually a bigger career advantage, but instead the greatest gift is the time saved.

— Doug Melville, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of mastering

Verb

As that year’s freshman class president, Miles’ father, George, was instrumental in assembling some 600 freshmen to lug into place 300 tons of loose rock left over from the stadium excavation.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 2 Sep. 2026
On the provider side, the response is a person opening a portal, reading the denial reason, pulling the record and assembling an appeal by hand.

— Oleg Nesterov, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of assembling

Verb

Cook will be remembered for making the iPhone feel essential to everything from buying a coffee to listening to music, hitting the gym or paying a credit card bill.

— Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 31 Aug. 2026
And despite several headlines that consumers are buying fewer sneakers in lieu of dressier options, retailers are seeing growth in multiple segments of the men’s shoe market.

— Stephen Garner, Footwear News, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of buying

Verb

Summary An 11-year-old Ontario entrepreneur, Ashton Meyer, transformed his $10 bin cleaning side hustle into a viral success, gaining over 110,000 Instagram followers.

— Sarah Hernholm, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Visiting people in their communities and gaining firsthand insight into Norway’s diverse realities became a fundamental part of their work.

— Stefania Conrieri, Vanity Fair, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of gaining

Verb

In Manon Coubia’s visually arresting film Forest High, solo caretakers keep the fires burning in a remote Alpine chalet where weary hikers find modest lodgings.

— Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2026
Schultz drove up as a group of agents was arresting an anti-ICE observer in the middle of the street.

— Emily Witt, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of arresting

Verb

Iceland voted against resuming talks to join the European Union, officials announced Sunday, as concerns over sovereignty trumped arguments for European integration.

— Lauren Morganbesser, semafor.com, 30 Aug. 2026
The hearing included an indefinite recess due to technical problems before resuming.

— Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 27 Aug. 2026