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picking on

VERB

nag, provoke

Synonyms

WEAK

badger bait blame bully carp cavil criticize find fault foment get at get to goad hector incite instigate quibble start tease torment

Antonyms

WEAK

compliment praise

VERB

nag

Synonyms

STRONGEST

badger bully get at tease torment

WEAK

bait blame carp cavil criticize find fault foment get to goad hector incite instigate pick at provoke quibble start

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.

Wallace said that at the time, his mother called him to ask why people were "picking on him".

From BBC • Apr. 25, 2025

The ETF market can also be mean, picking on specific people.

From Slate • Apr. 22, 2025

As she recalled picking on her co-star John David Washington in the ways that a sibling would, she couldn’t help but laugh.

From New York Times • Nov. 27, 2024

Nex Benedict, a 16-year-old Oklahoma student who identified as nonbinary and used they/them pronouns, got into an altercation with three girls in an Owasso High School bathroom who were picking on Benedict and some friends.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 25, 2024

I was bored and tired of picking on my knees, so I stood up to stretch.

From "Breaking Through" by Francisco Jiménez