cherry-pick

verb

ˈcher-ē-ˌpik How to pronounce cherry-pick (audio)
Definition of cherry-picknext
as in to choose
to decide to accept (someone or something) from a group of possibilities cherry-picked the spacious corner office for his corporate fief

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of cherry-pick That youthful presence feels almost too current, as the movie’s satire focuses disproportionately on genre discourse cherry-picked from just the last few years. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 4 June 2026 This rule created a system that incentivized insurance companies to cherry-pick homes that are on a list of fire-prone areas but are actually safe. — Tim Hay, Mercury News, 22 May 2026 My towing example above wasn’t cherry-picked; Ram fully expects owners to use these things as utility vehicles. — Byron Hurd, The Drive, 20 May 2026 Families spent Mother's Day filling buckets and making memories at Dell'Osso Farms in Lathrop, where crowds gathered Sunday for cherry-picking season in the heart of California's top cherry-producing county. — Charlie Lapastora, CBS News, 11 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for cherry-pick
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cherry-pick
  1. choose
  2. select
  3. pick
Verb
  • Well-known for his penmanship of the Ferrari Enzo over 25 years ago, Japanese designer Ken Okuyama chose the glamorous surroundings of Monterey Car Week to unveil his latest—and perhaps most ambitious—creation, the Kode89.
    — Peter Lyon, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Election officials are reminding voters that Election Day voting differs from early voting because voters cannot simply choose any polling location.
    — Ivan Taylor, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of choose
Verb
  • And word has it, it was actually selected by JFK’s father, Joe Sr.
    — Freya Drohan, InStyle, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Maybe all the more so since cornerbacks Delane, selected sixth overall in the 2026 NFL Draft, and Sneed have yet to be full participants in practice.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of select
Verb
  • Backstage, Kenny Omega calls the Don Callis Family bullies and tells them to pick any three members to face him and The Young Bucks, who are standing beside Omega, next week.
    — Rob Wolkenbrod, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Antioch Full Gospel Baptist Church members who are facing off in court over control of the College Station congregation will meet Monday to determine the process for picking who gets to preach.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of pick

Browse Nearby Words

cherishing
cherry-pick
cherry-picked
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cherry-pick.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cherry-pick. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of prowess

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 21

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
alt-684346df967d5
Add A Letter Quiz Pick the letter that goes in the same spot in fou...
See All