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
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 15 May 2024
Wherever Clark dribbled, a double team seemed to greet her, forcing her to throw long, sometimes forced passes that were picked off.
—Sean Gregory / Uncasville, TIME, 15 May 2024
The contributions stood in contrast to the base running blunder from another young player, Tyler Fitzgerald, who was picked off first as soon as he was called upon to pinch-run for Wilmer Flores in the bottom of the ninth, representing the potential winning run.
—Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 13 May 2024
And Netflix and YouTube are also eager to pick off ad dollars that flow to NBC.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 9 May 2024
Riley pulverized a 94-mph Stone fastball in the first, sending a 449-foot homer to left-center for a 1-0 lead that would have been 2-0 had Stone not picked off Acuña at second base before Riley’s bomb.
—Mike Digiovanna, Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2024
What’s harder to watch are the random acts of violence shown in full detail: Men picked off in front of a firing squad.
—Amber Dowling, Variety, 2 May 2024
That proves to be a tough task given more monks keep getting picked off and the killer looks to be whittling it down to Shardlake.
—Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 1 May 2024
Lee was also picked off immediately after recording his first major league hit.
—Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 4 Apr. 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
Mom picks off bad guys in the desert with her sniper rifle.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 15 May 2024
Wherever Clark dribbled, a double team seemed to greet her, forcing her to throw long, sometimes forced passes that were picked off.
—Sean Gregory / Uncasville, TIME, 15 May 2024
The contributions stood in contrast to the base running blunder from another young player, Tyler Fitzgerald, who was picked off first as soon as he was called upon to pinch-run for Wilmer Flores in the bottom of the ninth, representing the potential winning run.
—Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 13 May 2024
And Netflix and YouTube are also eager to pick off ad dollars that flow to NBC.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 9 May 2024
Riley pulverized a 94-mph Stone fastball in the first, sending a 449-foot homer to left-center for a 1-0 lead that would have been 2-0 had Stone not picked off Acuña at second base before Riley’s bomb.
—Mike Digiovanna, Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2024
What’s harder to watch are the random acts of violence shown in full detail: Men picked off in front of a firing squad.
—Amber Dowling, Variety, 2 May 2024
That proves to be a tough task given more monks keep getting picked off and the killer looks to be whittling it down to Shardlake.
—Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 1 May 2024
Lee was also picked off immediately after recording his first major league hit.
—Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 4 Apr. 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 21 May. 2024.
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