slim pickings

Idioms  

1. A small amount left after others have taken a share. For example, After each of the children took what they wanted of Mother's things, it was slim pickings for the rest of the family. This expression alludes to animals devouring a carcass. [Early 1600s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

slim pickings

And while the U.S. ended up with the lion’s share of the matches, Canada was left with slim pickings.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 2026

“While it’s slim pickings for labor market data right now, Wednesday’s ADP update at least gave investors some reassurance that the jobs market isn’t falling apart,” writes Bret Kenwell, eToro U.S. investment analyst.

From Barron's ● Nov. 5, 2025

No, but it was the one that stood out from the slim pickings this week.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 19, 2025

But while Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk have reluctantly provided snippets in interviews about contract talks it has been slim pickings from Trent Alexander-Arnold.

From BBC ● Dec. 31, 2024

Probably there are only jellyfish and tiny crabs, but even with those slim pickings we have snorkeled at the tiny beach, always.

From "We Were Liars" by E. Lockhart

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Related Words

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