cherry-pick
To pick out the best or most desirable items from a list or group, especially to…To pick out the best or most desirable items from a list or group, especially to obtain some advantage or to present something in the best possible light.
Meaning
5 senses(idiomatic)To pick out the best or most desirable items from a list or group, especially to obtain some advantage or to present something in the best possible light.
(broadly, rhetoric)To select only evidence which supports an argument, and reject or ignore contradictory evidence.
From all the available statistics, the politician cherry-picked only those that backed up his ideas.
sich die Rosinen herauspicken
(US, idiomatic)To position oneself near the opponent's goal to attempt to receive an errant or intentional pass for an easy score, as in basketball or versions of soccer where offsides are not enforced.
(US, idiomatic)To broadcast selected programming from another network.
In source control, to commit selected changes from one branch to another.
Translations
5 languagesBy meaning 1
Origin
A metaphor, from the idea of picking through a bowl of cherries and seeking the best for oA metaphor, from the idea of picking through a bowl of cherries and seeking the best for oneself, or the idea of picking off the cherries for oneself from a cake or dessert.
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Forms
cherry-picks, cherry-picking, cherry-picked, cherry-picked| Base form | cherry-pick · to cherry-pick |
|---|---|
| 3rd person singular | cherry-picks |
| Present participle | cherry-picking |
| Past simple | cherry-picked |
| Past participle | cherry-picked |
regular · Lesson
Synonyms
1 synonymsWord family
3 related wordsLessons for this word
3 lessons- A1Present simple — Because it is a verb
- A1Past simple, regular verbs — Because of its past form
- A2Present perfect: introduction — Because of its past participle