pick out

verb

picked out; picking out; picks out
Synonyms of pick outnext

transitive verb

1
: discern, make out
2
: to play the notes of by ear or one by one
picking out tunes on the piano

Examples of pick out in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Preparing your meals, picking out your clothes the night before, or outlining the next day’s priorities can help take some of the mental load off a busy day. — Kriti Kumar, Vogue, 24 Oct. 2026 Blackview says the setup can pick out subjects from kilometers away, although that extreme-distance performance will depend heavily on visibility and shooting conditions. — New Atlas, 23 Oct. 2026 And Mary Zophres, the costume designer, picked out that emerald green dress for Olivia and worked with me on every detail. — Clayton Davis, Variety, 23 Oct. 2026 Harris was a first-round pick out of Alabama and was the Pittsburgh Steelers' bell cow but left after four seasons. — Ryan Morik Outkick, FOXNews.com, 20 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pick out

Word History

First Known Use

1540, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of pick out was in 1540

Rhymes for pick out

See All Rhymes for pick out

Browse Nearby Words

pick oneself up
pick out
pick over
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pick out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pick%20out. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

pick out

verb
1
: to see or detect with some difficulty
picked out the trail in the snow
2
: to play the notes of by ear or one by one
pick out a tune

More from Merriam-Webster on pick out

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for pick out

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of milieu

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All