picks off
Snipes from afar
Picks off means to remove or eliminate one at a time.
A sniper picks off enemy soldiers individually.
A fielder picks off a runner caught between bases.
You might pick off dead leaves from a plant.
The phrase suggests careful, selective targeting rather than wholesale action: The detective picked off suspects from her list as alibis checked out.
- one by oneIn succession, separately
- interceptSeize en route
- targetObject of pursuit
- easy targetVulnerable person or thing
- sniperConcealed precision shooter
sniper rifle · steal · isolate · eliminate · single out · turnover · aim · remove · shoot · takes out · block · neutralize · ambush · deflect · stalk · extract · zero in on · pinpoint