Baseball. a play in which a base runner, caught off base, is tagged out by an infielder on a quick throw, usually from the pitcher or catcher.
Electronics. a mechanism that senses mechanical motion and produces a corresponding electric signal.
First recorded in 1935–40; noun use of verb phrase pick off
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Because of Ohtani’s bruise — which he sustained by getting hit with a pick-off throw last week — the Dodgers didn’t want him to have to get loose twice in one day.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 28, 2024
In hopes of giving reliever Alex Vesia an extra moment to warm up, the Dodgers dugout signaled for pitcher Yency Almonte to lob a pick-off to first base.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2022
An inning later, Gonzales’ throwing error on a pick-off attempt advanced Ketel Marte to third, and he scored on Carson Kelly’s sacrifice fly.
From Fox News ● Sep. 11, 2021
He only escaped the first inning scoreless because he caught Altuve napping at second base and executed a deft pick-off throw to J.P.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 6, 2021
Cody walked Kyle Seager in the second inning, then threw a pick-off attempt wide to advance him to second.
From Washington Times ● Sep. 5, 2020
But Ukraine has adapted by using drones and artillery to pick off such assault units, and by seeking out Russian squads that manage to get through.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 12, 2026
Navy decommissioned its last battleship in 1992, after the military recognized that battleships had become sitting ducks, vulnerable to modern military munitions that could pick off the vessel from the sky.
From Salon ● May 8, 2026
BigBear can certainly pick off smaller, more specialized government contracts, however, and even has a partnership with Palantir.
From Barron's ● Nov. 11, 2025
Bellotti started Saturday's fight on the front foot, but Padley's sharp footwork and elite conditioning allowed him to pick off the 34-year-old.
From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2025
Boaz played with the sleeve of his hoodie, trying to pick off the dirt clods that still clung to it.
From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny
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.
