pickoff

1 of 2

noun

pick·​off ˈpik-ˌȯf 

: a baseball play in which a base runner is picked off

pick off

2 of 2

verb

picked off; picking off; picks off

transitive verb

1

: to shoot or bring down especially one by one

2

: to put out (a base runner who is off base) with a quick throw (as from the pitcher or catcher)

3

: intercept

picked off a pass

Synonyms

Verb

• block
• intercept
• interdict

Examples of pickoff in a Sentence

Noun

He made a pickoff throw to third base.

Verb

picked off more passes than any other player in the division

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Over the past few years, in an effort to shorten games and improve the pace of play, baseball commissioner Rob Manfred has ushered in a rule-change revolution that has included pitch clocks, larger bases, limits on pickoff moves, and the banishment of a defensive formation called the shift. —Keith O'Brien, Rolling Stone, 23 Feb. 2025

With the game slowly reverting to more running since the use of larger bases and limiting the number of pickoff throws, a catcher controlling opponents on the base paths becomes even more important. —Chuck Murr, Forbes, 6 Nov. 2024

Verb

Often, Newcastle have unsettled Liverpool with their early intensity and have sometimes taken the lead, only to tire and end up being picked off. —Chris Waugh, The Athletic, 26 Feb. 2025

On his 22nd birthday, DeJean picked off Patrick Mahomes to score a touchdown and became the first player in Super Bowl history to intercept a pass or score a touchdown on his birthday. —Paulina Dedaj, Fox News, 13 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1911, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1810, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for pickoff

• ashraf
• checkoff
• cutoff
• falloff
• handoff
• kickoff
• layoff
• liftoff
• markoff
• markov
• payoff
• playoff

Kids Definition

pick off

verb

1

: to shoot or bring down one by one or with a single shot

2

: to put out (a base runner who is off base) with a quick throw