picking off

Verb

pick off (third-person singular simple present picks off, present participle picking off, simple past and past participle picked off)

1. (literally) To remove by picking.
   • Before you recycle the bottle you need to pick off the label.
2. To dispose of tasks, obstacles, opponents etc. precisely, one by one.
   • Let's pick off these issues starting from the top.
   1. To shoot one by one.
      • The sniper picked off the incoming police one at a time.
3. To throw out a runner by tagging them whilst they are not in contact with any of the three bases or home plate.
   • The pitcher attempted to pick off the runner at first, but he was safe.
4. To intercept, such as a ball in flight.
   • But the World Cup winning veteran's left boot was awry again, the attempt sliced horribly wide of the left upright, and the saltires were waving aloft again a moment later when a long pass in the England midfield was picked off to almost offer up a breakaway try.2011 October 1, Tom Fordyce, “Rugby World Cup 2011: England 16-12 Scotland”, in BBC Sport

See all 6 meanings of pick off