1
as in masters
to acquire complete knowledge, understanding, or skill in
he has a knack for picking up a language in a few weeks
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in assembles
to bring together in one body or place
pick up all of your things because we have to be off this beach before dark
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in buys
to get possession of (something) by giving money in exchange for
could you pick up some milk at the store?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in grows (in)
to gradually increase in
the boat was just picking up speed when it was rammed by another boat
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in lifts
to move from a lower to a higher place or position
pick up your feet while I vacuum in front of the sofa
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in arrests
to take or keep under one's control by authority of law
police picked up the fugitive when she went out to buy food
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in cleans 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?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
8
as in resumes
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
9
as in trims
to make neat
the boy's bedroom looked like it hadn't been picked up in quite a while
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of picks up
Ao Tanaka, playing in what would be the Aaronson role on Saturday, picks up the knockdown and feeds Gudmundsson, in acres of space, wide left.
—
Beren Cross, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2026
Russell Westbrook picks up the 100th triple-double of his career and the Oklahoma City Thunder uses a 16-0 run late in the fourth quarter to pull away from the Atlanta Hawks for a 119-107 victory.
—Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2026
The new installment picks up right where the 2019 horror-thriller left off.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 12 Mar. 2026
Clouds increase as the wind picks up through the day Sunday.
—Cutter Martin, CBS News, 12 Mar. 2026
Shop comfortable, stylish picks up to 58 percent off, starting at just $34.
—Caroline Hughes, Travel + Leisure, 5 Mar. 2026
The 17e, which at $599 is now the least-expensive model in the iPhone 17 series, picks up where the 16e left off.
—Eric Zeman, PC Magazine, 5 Mar. 2026
The Long Game picks up around three years after the events of Heated Rivalry and finds Shane and Ilya still dating in secret.
—Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Feb. 2026
The lymphatic system picks up the lymph (and other bacteria, waste, and toxins) and carries it away to be cleaned and recycled to prevent your body from swelling.
—Danielle Zickl, Outside, 11 Jan. 2026
Beren Cross, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2026
Russell Westbrook picks up the 100th triple-double of his career and the Oklahoma City Thunder uses a 16-0 run late in the fourth quarter to pull away from the Atlanta Hawks for a 119-107 victory.
—Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2026
The new installment picks up right where the 2019 horror-thriller left off.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 12 Mar. 2026
Clouds increase as the wind picks up through the day Sunday.
—Cutter Martin, CBS News, 12 Mar. 2026
Shop comfortable, stylish picks up to 58 percent off, starting at just $34.
—Caroline Hughes, Travel + Leisure, 5 Mar. 2026
The 17e, which at $599 is now the least-expensive model in the iPhone 17 series, picks up where the 16e left off.
—Eric Zeman, PC Magazine, 5 Mar. 2026
The Long Game picks up around three years after the events of Heated Rivalry and finds Shane and Ilya still dating in secret.
—Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Feb. 2026
The lymphatic system picks up the lymph (and other bacteria, waste, and toxins) and carries it away to be cleaned and recycled to prevent your body from swelling.
—Danielle Zickl, Outside, 11 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for picks up
Verb
-
The future belongs to the developer who masters the ability to break down human expertise into reusable agent skills.—
Mohith Shrivastava,
Fortune,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Kravitz masters the concept of blending genres, mixing crystal light fixtures and an exceptionally rare $45,000 leather panel bed with artisanal pieces and textures in his bedding and rugs.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The group assembles in a staggered formation and uses hand signals to communicate road hazards and turns.—
Brenda Miranda,
Miami Herald,
25 Mar. 2026
-
The track assembles into a classic floor-filler.—
Jesse Dorris,
Pitchfork,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
One of the sources said over 850 have been used so far in the conflict, roughly nine times the number of Tomahawks the Pentagon buys each year on average.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Comedian Matt Rife buys home in Rhode Island.—
Katie Landeck,
The Providence Journal,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Pivotal moments Once the countdown hits zero and the towering Space Launch System rocket carrying the Orion spacecraft lifts off, Blackwell-Thompson hands over to Jeff Radigan, Artemis II lead flight director at Mission Control Center at Johnson Space Center in Houston.—
Katie Hunt,
CNN Money,
26 Mar. 2026
-
To, be in this moment where, uh, the audience lifts out of themselves and comes into a collective state of feeling.—
Outside Online,
Outside Online,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The Department of Damage Control arrests Trevor.—
JP Mangalindan,
Time,
27 Jan. 2026
-
The sheer scale of an estate for sale in San Francisco’s tony Pacific Heights neighborhood — a residence spanning 26,000 square feet, or the equivalent of 10 average homes — arrests the imagination.—
David Caraccio,
Sacbee.com,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Left-hander David Peterson will start Saturday when the series resumes.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
26 Mar. 2026
-
When the series with the Yankees resumes on Friday, conditions should be much warmer, with a first pitch temperature in the mid- to upper 70s to potentially 80 degrees.—
Greg Porter,
San Francisco Chronicle,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The third round of voting trims the field to four restaurants.—
Susan Stapleton,
Des Moines Register,
25 Mar. 2026
-
The Yale Repertory Theatre is using a 2019 adaptation by Frank Galati, which takes the standard Derek Prouse translation which has been around nearly as long as Ionesco original French script and trims it judiciously for maximum theatrical impact.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Growing up near the beach, one learns there are many ways to build them.—
Raphael Fonseca,
Artforum,
2 Apr. 2026
-
New to Rhode Island, Ashley learns to fit in with a group of friends whose history runs deep.—
Jason Pham,
StyleCaster,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Picks up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/picks%20up. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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