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pick up - thesaurus entry

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phrasal verb
  1. 1
    to lift someone or something up from a surface

    *American English synonyms or related words for this sense of pick up*

    To move, or to move something upwards: lift, raise, rise, ascend, soar, elevate, hoist, kick up, pick up, heave... more
    1. a.
      to lift things up and put them in the place where they are kept in order to make a place neat

      *American English synonyms or related words for this sense of pick up*

      To make things cleaner or tidier: clean up, clear out, clean, clean out, tidy, pick up after, brush, sort out, pick up, straighten up... more
    2. b.
      American to make a place clean and neat

      *American English synonyms or related words for this sense of pick up*

      To make things cleaner or tidier: clean up, clear out, clean, clean out, tidy, pick up after, brush, sort out, pick up, straighten up... more
    3. c.
      to lift something up and take it away

      *American English synonyms or related words for this sense of pick up*

      To touch, or to pick up someone or something: touch, pick up, handle, brush, pat, feel, gather up, pluck, graze, stroke... more
  4. 4
    informal to get an illness

    *American English synonyms or related words for this sense of pick up*

    To have or develop an illness or symptom: suffer, get, contract, come down with, develop, catch, have, afflict, go down with, invade... more
  5. 5
    informal to buy something

    *American English synonyms or related words for this sense of pick up*

    To buy something: buy, get, purchase, invest in, buy up, import, place, get in, snap up, acquire... more
  6. 6
    informal to receive an electronic signal on a radio or similar piece of equipment

    *American English synonyms or related words for this sense of pick up*

    Radio, radar and sonar signals: cell, directional, footprint, get, ghosting, GPS, interference, jam, pick up, radar... more
  7. 7
    informal to earn money

    *American English synonyms or related words for this sense of pick up*

    To earn a particular amount of money: generate, get, get back, gross, net, realize, get together, make, turn over, draw... more
  8. 8
    informal to win something such as a prize

    *American English synonyms or related words for this sense of pick up*

    To win a prize, or to award a prize: award, carry off, walk off with, walk away with, recapture, crown, take, sweep, letter... more
  12. 12
    to improve

    *American English synonyms or related words for this sense of pick up*

    To become better: improve, recover, look up, ease off, catch up, sharpen, pick up, change for the better/worse, come a long way, jump... more
    1. a.
      if something such as the wind picks up, it becomes stronger

      *American English synonyms or related words for this sense of pick up*

      What the wind can do: blow, catch, drop, freshen, get up, gust, howl, lash, pick up, rise... more
    2. b.
      pick up speed if something picks up speed, it starts to move faster

      *American English synonyms or related words for this sense of pick up*

      To go faster, or to make something go faster: speed up, accelerate, quicken, catch up, pick up speed, put your foot down, pull ahead, give it some gas, step on it... more
  13. 13
    pick up the bill/tab informal to pay for something

    *American English synonyms or related words for this sense of pick up*

    To spend or to pay money: disburse, spend, pay, pay out, finance, fund, invest in, put up, bear the cost/expense etc.... more

These are synonyms and/or related words for pick up in the American English Thesaurus. View synonyms and/or related words for pick up in the British English Thesaurus.

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See also main entry: pick

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