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Synonyms

pickings

British  
/ ˈpɪkɪŋz /

plural noun

  1. (sometimes singular) money, profits, etc, acquired easily or by more or less dishonest means; spoils

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

But for those who poured in to see eight-time Ballon d'Or-winner Messi there were slim pickings, as the tightly marked 38-year-old failed to get a shot on target despite Miami dominating possession.

From Barron's • Feb. 22, 2026

The drink lineup was solid, much better than the slim pickings at my $89 beach day in the Dominican Republic a few days earlier.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 11, 2026

Squirrels should be smart enough to take the easy pickings over the puzzle box.

From Slate • Jan. 25, 2026

From above, a soaring condor scans the terrain and spots easy pickings -- the remains left after hunters have shot a deer, wild pig or some other game animal.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 14, 2025

The pickings at the commissary were always slim, however.

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown

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