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 But the tireless churn of his storytelling, picking up and depositing little clues of what came before, is the mark of an auteur who has barely scratched the surface of his prowess. — Matthew Ritchie, Pitchfork, 15 Oct. 2026 Most of the wild weather starts tonight, with wind speeds picking up and temperatures ticking up during the overnight hours behind a warm front and warm air advection. — Ron Smiley, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026 Its relatively basic grippers and limited lifting capacity are enough for tasks such as picking up shoes, clothes, and toys, wiping tables, fetching objects, and watering plants. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 1 Oct. 2026 The Yankees may be down a few sluggers entering the postseason, however, they certainly are equipped with a player capable of picking up some of the slack. — James O'Connell, New York Daily News, 24 Sep. 2026 Now the former child phenom is accused of picking up a permanent marker and scrawling antisemitic graffiti on Southern California homes, according to authorities. — Terry Castleman, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026 The final 100 pages are a thrilling, heart-stopping adventure in the New Mexico desert, picking up the pace with unexpected urgency and narrative anxiety. — Literary Hub, 17 Sep. 2026 Lee fills his glass from a second bottle, bantering away with his lifelong pal before picking up a third. — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 17 Sep. 2026 Four Twins relievers allowed two hits over four scoreless innings, with Yoendrys Gomez picking up his 21st save. — Arkansas Online, 6 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for picking up

Verb

Making a cup of coffee can be as simple as popping a pod into a machine or as complex as mastering a high-tech espresso machine.

— Randi Gollin, Martha Stewart, 21 Oct. 2026
Ward went on to join Ohio’s BalletMet and North Carolina Dance Theatre, mastering classical and neoclassical styles until his heart demanded a move beyond those orthodoxies.

— Guillermo Perez, Miami Herald, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of mastering

Verb

When DeSantis took office and began assembling his team, Florida faced the same cultural pressures as the rest of the country.

— Kimberly Bird, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Oct. 2026
Ukraine has earned worldwide recognition for its cutting-edge drone industry, designing and assembling systems that have changed modern warfare.

— ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of assembling

Verb

Falcons sticking to Robinson on first down Thus far, the Falcons have had three first-down plays and have run running back Bijan Robinson on each, gaining a total of 22 yards.

— AJC.com, AJC.com, 25 Oct. 2026
The Panthers wound up out gaining Argyle 552 to 480 in total yards with running back Gabriel Bess picking up 160 yards on 19 carries.

— Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of gaining

Verb

The reduction in missions lifting off from Florida has slowed Falcon 9's Starlink launch cadence considerably.

— Josh Dinner, Space.com, 23 Oct. 2026
Record-high diesel prices pushed freight off the highway and onto the railroads in the third quarter, lifting CSX, Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern to record revenue.

— Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of lifting

Verb

Osceola Sheriff Chris Blackmon released a statement on Facebook on Wednesday after arresting all nine students.

— Garfield Hylton, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Oct. 2026
For starters, the Stanford experiment prisoners had no idea the study would kick off with local police realistically arresting them at their homes.

— Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of arresting

Verb

Abrosimov said resuming serial production would strengthen Russia’s technological independence and support the long-term development of its Long-Range Aviation fleet and the airborne component of the country’s nuclear triad.

— Muskan Bhatia, Interesting Engineering, 19 Oct. 2026
By Thursday, the situation changed once more, with Ukraine’s strikes on Russian refineries resuming as Starlink and Starshield services had been restored to full capacity, as an unnamed Ukrainian official told Axios.

— Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of resuming

Verb

The younger Bolsonaro's other proposals include trimming the size of the Brazilian state to boost economic growth.

— Carrie Kahn, NPR, 23 Oct. 2026
But new technologies are opening the door to transition a portion of the inputs from petrochemicals to plants, trimming the environmental impact of these fibers.

— Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 20 Oct. 2026