pick somebody/something ↔ off phrasal verb (see also pick)
to point a weapon carefully at one person or animal in a group, and then shoot them:
There were gunmen in some of the buildings who picked off our men as they went past.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

pick off
pick (someone/something) off
1.
to kill or shoot one person or animal at a time.
Snipers picked the soldiers off one by one.

The birds in the nest were picked off by hawks.

2.
to select and attack or defeat a particular person or group.
During the race I just picked off the runners ahead of me one at a time.

We try to identify these criminal groups and pick their leaders off before they can cause too much trouble.

The Republicans picked off Democrats in Oklahoma, Alabama, and Mississippi in the last election.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲

pick something off
pick (someone/something) off
1.
to kill or shoot one person or animal at a time.
Snipers picked the soldiers off one by one.

The birds in the nest were picked off by hawks.

2.
to select and attack or defeat a particular person or group.
During the race I just picked off the runners ahead of me one at a time.

We try to identify these criminal groups and pick their leaders off before they can cause too much trouble.

The Republicans picked off Democrats in Oklahoma, Alabama, and Mississippi in the last election.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲

pick off
• pick off (someone or something)
to kill with a carefully aimed shot from a gun or other weapon
The police were easily able to pick off the man who was shooting the rifle.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲

pick off something
• pick off (someone or something)
to kill with a carefully aimed shot from a gun or other weapon
The police were easily able to pick off the man who was shooting the rifle.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲

pick off
v.
1. To pull off; remove with the fingers.
He picked off the burs that had stuck to his overcoat.
2. To shoot, one at a time; knock down one by one.
The sniper picked off the slower soldiers as they came out into the road.
3. To catch a base runner off base by throwing the ball quickly to a fielder who tags him out.
The pitcher turned around suddenly and threw to the second baseman to pick the runner off second base.
Compare: OFF BASE.
4. To catch and, especially in football, to intercept.
Alert defenders picked off three of Jack's passes.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲

pick someone off
pick (someone/something) off
1.
to kill or shoot one person or animal at a time.
Snipers picked the soldiers off one by one.

The birds in the nest were picked off by hawks.

2.
to select and attack or defeat a particular person or group.
During the race I just picked off the runners ahead of me one at a time.

We try to identify these criminal groups and pick their leaders off before they can cause too much trouble.

The Republicans picked off Democrats in Oklahoma, Alabama, and Mississippi in the last election.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲

pick off someone
• pick off (someone or something)
to kill with a carefully aimed shot from a gun or other weapon
The police were easily able to pick off the man who was shooting the rifle.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲