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
Synonyms
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
Josh Dubow, The Mercury News, 2 Apr. 2024
Takamura scored on an errant pickoff throw at first base and Madonna came home on a sacrifice fly to right hit by Truman Beaudoin.
—Glenn Reeves, The Mercury News, 20 Mar. 2024
The first pickoff, by Jaire Alexander, came when Dallas was backed on its own end of the field late in the first quarter.
—USA TODAY, 14 Jan. 2024
Khan drafted Porter, who maintained perfect position on Odell Beckham Jr.’s fade route, enabling the pickoff.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Oct. 2023
On average this season, there has been a successful pickoff once every 10 games, on par with recent years.
—Francesca Paris, New York Times, 24 May 2023
Such as the pitch timer, the curtailment of radical defensive shifts and the introduction of larger bases, coupled with limitations on how many times a pitcher could attempt a pickoff.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Jan. 2024
Less heralded — and criticized — were the other changes implemented to encourage more action: Infield shift restrictions, bigger bases and a limit on pickoff attempts.
—Jorge Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 22 Nov. 2023
If a third pickoff throw is attempted and is unsuccessful, the pitcher is charged with a balk.
—Chantz Martin, Fox News, 1 Sep. 2023
Bob Holt, arkansasonline.com, 23 Mar. 2024
Beijing has pushed countries to recognize China, not Taiwan, as a way to bolster its claims and, by picking off its allies, China isolates Taiwan on the international stage.
—Vic Chiang, Washington Post, 1 Feb. 2024
But immediately after reaching base in the fifth inning, Lee was picked off first by Padres starter Yu Darvish for the third out.
—Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 28 Mar. 2024
After White led off with a double he was picked off second base.
—Tom Murphy, arkansasonline.com, 19 Feb. 2024
Two plays later, Mahomes was picked off, which was his first interception thrown in the past two postseasons.
—Steve Gardner, USA TODAY, 11 Feb. 2024
The Chiefs, up 17-7, have the ball back with another chance to go up three scores.
25d ago / 1:56 PM PST
Jason Abbruzzese
Jackson really should have been picked off there.
—NBC News, 29 Jan. 2024
In Martin Scorsese's film, Gladstone plays Mollie Burkhart, an Osage woman whose family was being picked off one by one by white people who moved to Oklahoma to take advantage of the newfound oil riches.
—Ew Staff Published, EW.com, 8 Mar. 2024
When key trading powers in the world economy such as the U.S. start picking off bilateral FTAs with countries as important as Kenya, that only serves to deflate the balloon for the AfCFTA—which is the single most important economic policy investment objective that the US should champion for Africa.
—Harry G. Broadman, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024
Noun
Two more miscues followed in the third with first baseman Ryan Noda throwing the ball away on an infield hit by Valdez and starter Joe Boyle making a wild throw on a pickoff attempt at second base.
—Josh Dubow, The Mercury News, 2 Apr. 2024
Takamura scored on an errant pickoff throw at first base and Madonna came home on a sacrifice fly to right hit by Truman Beaudoin.
—Glenn Reeves, The Mercury News, 20 Mar. 2024
The first pickoff, by Jaire Alexander, came when Dallas was backed on its own end of the field late in the first quarter.
—USA TODAY, 14 Jan. 2024
Khan drafted Porter, who maintained perfect position on Odell Beckham Jr.’s fade route, enabling the pickoff.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Oct. 2023
On average this season, there has been a successful pickoff once every 10 games, on par with recent years.
—Francesca Paris, New York Times, 24 May 2023
Such as the pitch timer, the curtailment of radical defensive shifts and the introduction of larger bases, coupled with limitations on how many times a pitcher could attempt a pickoff.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Jan. 2024
Less heralded — and criticized — were the other changes implemented to encourage more action: Infield shift restrictions, bigger bases and a limit on pickoff attempts.
—Jorge Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 22 Nov. 2023
If a third pickoff throw is attempted and is unsuccessful, the pitcher is charged with a balk.
—Chantz Martin, Fox News, 1 Sep. 2023
Verb
Bobby Peirce doubled against Frank, went to third on a single by Chris Stanfield and scored on an error by Rowland, whose throw trying to pick off Peirce during on a steal by Stanfield went into the outfield.
—Bob Holt, arkansasonline.com, 23 Mar. 2024
Beijing has pushed countries to recognize China, not Taiwan, as a way to bolster its claims and, by picking off its allies, China isolates Taiwan on the international stage.
—Vic Chiang, Washington Post, 1 Feb. 2024
But immediately after reaching base in the fifth inning, Lee was picked off first by Padres starter Yu Darvish for the third out.
—Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 28 Mar. 2024
After White led off with a double he was picked off second base.
—Tom Murphy, arkansasonline.com, 19 Feb. 2024
Two plays later, Mahomes was picked off, which was his first interception thrown in the past two postseasons.
—Steve Gardner, USA TODAY, 11 Feb. 2024
The Chiefs, up 17-7, have the ball back with another chance to go up three scores.
25d ago / 1:56 PM PST
Jason Abbruzzese
Jackson really should have been picked off there.
—NBC News, 29 Jan. 2024
In Martin Scorsese's film, Gladstone plays Mollie Burkhart, an Osage woman whose family was being picked off one by one by white people who moved to Oklahoma to take advantage of the newfound oil riches.
—Ew Staff Published, EW.com, 8 Mar. 2024
When key trading powers in the world economy such as the U.S. start picking off bilateral FTAs with countries as important as Kenya, that only serves to deflate the balloon for the AfCFTA—which is the single most important economic policy investment objective that the US should champion for Africa.
—Harry G. Broadman, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pickoff.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near pickoff
Cite this Entry
“Pickoff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pickoff. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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