pick out
Britishverb
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to select for use or special consideration, illustration, etc, as from a group
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to distinguish (an object from its surroundings), as in painting
she picked out the woodwork in white
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to perceive or recognize (a person or thing previously obscured)
we picked out his face among the crowd
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to distinguish (sense or meaning) from or as if from a mass of detail or complication
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to play (a tune) tentatively, by or as if by ear
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Choose, select, as in She picked out the best piece of fabric . [Early 1500s]
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Distinguish, discern from one's surroundings, as in They managed to pick out their mother from the crowd . [Mid-1500s]
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Identify the notes of a tune and play it on an instrument, as in When she was four she could pick out folk songs on the piano . [Late 1800s]
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The riders can pick out the 21 switchbacks to the top and know exactly what’s coming.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
He had like 75 reeds on the ground because he couldn’t pick out the right one.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 2, 2026
There are two belt systems that run concurrently; a half-dozen crew members pick out undesirable materials early on so they don't cause problems in the machinery.
From Barron's ● Jun. 17, 2026
It's not a game England fans remember too fondly, but can you pick out the players who started the match?
From BBC ● Mar. 27, 2026
“Will your parents let you go to the mall? We can go shopping. I’ll help you pick out some new clothes.”
From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
