picked off; picking off; picks off
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
Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 31 May 2025
Saran caught Cann’s pickoff throw and chased Aranda nearly all the way to second base before flipping the ball to Lau, who tagged out Aranda.
—Matt Le Cren, Chicago Tribune, 19 May 2025
Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 25 May 2025
In a classic horror premise (a school dance in the ’80s, no less), a killer is picking off Shadyside High’s prom-queen candidates one by one.
—Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for pickoff
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Noun
Buehler walked Ozzie Albies, but after getting Alex Verdugo to strike out looking, the Red Sox starter was charged with a throwing error on the pickoff attempt.
—Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 31 May 2025
Saran caught Cann’s pickoff throw and chased Aranda nearly all the way to second base before flipping the ball to Lau, who tagged out Aranda.
—Matt Le Cren, Chicago Tribune, 19 May 2025
Verb
Drew Waters was picked off first base in the fourth.
—Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 25 May 2025
In a classic horror premise (a school dance in the ’80s, no less), a killer is picking off Shadyside High’s prom-queen candidates one by one.
—Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for pickoff
Cite this Entry
“Pickoff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pickoff. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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