pickoff

1 of 2

noun

pick·​off ˈpik-ˌȯf How to pronounce pickoff (audio)
: 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

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
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.
Noun
His arm became so lethal that Sirianni called just 15 pickoff throws to first base all season, almost daring opponents to take off against Janek’s arm. Chandler Rome, The Athletic, 15 July 2024 Halvorsen escaped being a walk-off loser with a nice pickoff move that caught Garcia between second and third. Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 22 Apr. 2025
Verb
Just try to forget about his getting picked off Saturday night. Grant Brisbee, New York Times, 12 May 2025 Garcia applied the tag — the Royals had picked off the lead runner in extra innings. Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 4 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for pickoff

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1911, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1810, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of pickoff was in 1810

Browse Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Pickoff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pickoff. Accessed 22 May. 2025.

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
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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