View synonyms for

pick at

verb

(intr, preposition) to make criticisms of in a niggling or petty manner

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Idioms and Phrases

Pluck or pull at, especially with the fingers, as in She was always picking at her skirt with her nails . [1600s]

Eat sparingly and without appetite, as in He was just picking at his dinner . [Late 1500s]

Nag, badger, as in He's picking at me all day long . [ Colloquial ; second half of 1600s]

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

She picks at the American lionization of our creative heroes, especially those with asterisks next to their names because they’ve abused young women.

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They picked at this particular South Africa scab with their verbal armoury of salty snipes when a tense chase began.

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“He better be working out because I’m just horrified about that fight — just horrified,” Kind mutters while shaking his head and picking at a small plate of bananas and peanut butter.

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Gonsolin’s bloody thumb was the latest unexpected dilemma, arising when the pitcher picked at some dead skin on his thumb after his pregame warm-up and “took some good skin with it,” he said.

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It is understood music bloggers, influencers and selected fans were invited or picked at random to attend the gig.

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pickaroon pickax

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