cherry-pick

verb

cher·​ry-pick ˈcher-ē-ˌpik 

cherry-picked; cherry-picking; cherry-picks

intransitive verb

: to select the best or most desirable

transitive verb

: to select as being the best or most desirable

also : to select the best or most desirable from

cherry-picked the art collection

Synonyms

• choose
• cull
• elect
• handpick
• name
• opt (for)
• pick
• prefer
• select
• single (out)
• tag
• take

Examples of cherry-pick in a Sentence

cherry-picked the spacious corner office for his corporate fief

Recent Examples on the Web

Many Ivy League students have learned to cherry-pick easy-grading professors. —Karin Klein, The Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2024

Programming isn’t only about cherry-picking the best film. —Zac Ntim, Deadline, 3 Nov. 2024

In a different interview, the Manchester City boss elaborated on that point and used the line the BBC cherry-picked for the headline. —Zak Garner-Purkis, Forbes, 27 Oct. 2024

Horowitz remembers the Merwin transaction as a vital moment in his growth, but Merwin and his wife always believed, without any proof, that Horowitz had cherry-picked his library for his own benefit. —Tad Friend, The New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1965, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense