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
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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?
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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
Larsson becomes eligible to sign an extension with the Heat starting July 6 after the team picks up the option in his contract ahead of the late-June deadline.
—
Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 23 Apr. 2026
Season 2 picks up with Isla Gordon no longer the surprise choice to lead the Los Angeles Waves, but very much the one with a target on her back.
—Kennedy French, Variety, 16 Apr. 2026
The series picks up 15 years after the finale of The Handmaid's Tale, and follows Agnes and Daisy (Lucy Halliday), a rebellious newcomer.
—Julia Moore, PEOPLE, 9 Apr. 2026
Burgess didn't know that the deductible must be met before insurance picks up part of the tab.
—Jackie Fortiér, NPR, 9 Apr. 2026
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
Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 23 Apr. 2026
Season 2 picks up with Isla Gordon no longer the surprise choice to lead the Los Angeles Waves, but very much the one with a target on her back.
—Kennedy French, Variety, 16 Apr. 2026
The series picks up 15 years after the finale of The Handmaid's Tale, and follows Agnes and Daisy (Lucy Halliday), a rebellious newcomer.
—Julia Moore, PEOPLE, 9 Apr. 2026
Burgess didn't know that the deductible must be met before insurance picks up part of the tab.
—Jackie Fortiér, NPR, 9 Apr. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for picks up
Verb
-
Levy masters one hilarious perplexed comedic reaction after another as Nicky, a closeted pastor with a zany, highly dysfunctional family.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
9 Apr. 2026
-
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
Verb
-
Florida now awaits All-SEC small forward Thomas Haugh’s decision as coach Todd Golden assembles the 2026-27 roster.—
Edgar Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
20 Apr. 2026
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Film at Lincoln Center, which hosts the fundraising event, annually assembles a colorful cast of past collaborators, maybe future ones, and admirers for this event, like last year pairing Dua Lipa and John Waters with Pedro Almodóvar.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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While Berkshire has generally not specified who buys specific stocks in the portfolio, Combs has been thought to favor technology and financials.—
Alex Crippen,
CNBC,
25 Apr. 2026
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As head of documentary and commissioning editor at VRT Canvas, Gommers buys, commissions, produces and co-produces standalone documentaries and documentary series alike.—
Kevin Giraud,
Variety,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Yet unlike physical fog that eventually lifts, The Fog keeps data opaque at all times—even as computation happens.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
30 Apr. 2026
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The first half of May stays relatively busy, but the pressure gradually lifts.—
Steph Koyfman,
Condé Nast Traveler,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Devlin throws a punch at Stone when the chief arrests him for drunken driving.—
Sandra Dallas,
Denver Post,
19 Apr. 2026
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The horrid image in the news of a column of smoke rising above the city of Tehran — an abyss of darkness against the gray sky — arrests my attention.—
Babak Rahimi,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Beyond that, two of the highlights of the horse racing calendar take place at Churchill Downs on Friday and Saturday, while the Formula One season resumes after a long hiatus with the Miami Grand Prix.—
The Athletic Live Team,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
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Now, after an extended international break, Angel City resumes its season Sunday at home against the Portland Thorns.—
Damian Calhoun,
Daily News,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The third round of voting trims the field to four restaurants.—
Susan Stapleton,
Des Moines Register,
25 Mar. 2026
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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
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One brain, many tasks Motubrain is designed as a unified multimodal model that learns from video, language, and action simultaneously.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Apr. 2026
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As the group heads down the coast, Amy learns more and more about Vivien with every stop.—
Rebecca Angel Baer,
Southern Living,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Picks up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/picks%20up. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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