picking off
Taking out individually
Picking off means removing or eliminating targets one at a time, usually from a distance or position of advantage.
A sniper picks off enemy soldiers.
A savvy shopper picks off deals as they appear.
In baseball, a pitcher picks off a runner by throwing to a base to catch them off guard: He picked off the runner at first.
The phrase suggests patient, selective elimination rather than wholesale attack.
- capturingTaking into custody
- catchingAble to be transmitted
- taking outRemoving from within
- killingCausing death deliberately
- snipeHidden-position shooting
attrition · eliminate · easy targets · sitting ducks · one by one · single out · pluck · thinning · thin the herd · culling · neutralize · intercepting · isolate · choose · select · remove · dislodge · predation
picking offfrontal assault
Attack from the front
carpet bombing · swarming · overwhelming · blitzkrieg · storming
picking offprotecting
Keeping from harm
shielding · defending · safeguarding · rescuing · saving
picking offrecruiting
Enlisting new members
gathering · assembling · enlisting · rallying · amassing
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