pickings

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

But for 2½ hours she got the error message and could not access the pool of tickets until 12:30 p.m., by which time, she said, “the pickings were slim.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026

Squirrels should be smart enough to take the easy pickings over the puzzle box.

From Slate • Jan. 25, 2026

“There are slimmer pickings, and I think a lot of the opportunities that were historically available are harder to come by,” he said, regarding funding.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 29, 2025

“While it’s slim pickings for labor market data right now, Wednesday’s ADP update at least gave investors some reassurance that the jobs market isn’t falling apart,” writes Bret Kenwell, eToro U.S. investment analyst.

From Barron's • Nov. 5, 2025

They've had lean pickings, this raggedy pair of highwaymen, Jemmy thought.

From "The Whipping Boy" by Sid Fleischman