pick up on - Definition & Meaning | Lingo Dictionary

pick up on

to notice something that is not immediately obviousto notice something that is not immediately obvious

Examples

As a skilled detective, he could pick up on subtle behavioral cues that indicated when someone was lying.
Sarah was quick to pick up on the tension in the room when she entered.
I didn't tell him about my promotion, but he picked up on it when he saw the new nameplate on my desk.

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pick up on

Third Person

picks up on

Present Participle

picking up on

Past Tense

picked up on

Past Participle

picked up on

1

to notice something that is not immediately obvious

transitive

As a skilled detective, he could pick up on subtle behavioral cues that indicated when someone was lying.
Sarah was quick to pick up on the tension in the room when she entered.
I didn't tell him about my promotion, but he picked up on it when he saw the new nameplate on my desk.
During the movie, most people didn't pick up on the small clues leading to the big plot twist at the end.
Despite the actor's composed demeanor, keen-eyed fans picked up on the slight tremor in his hands, indicating nervousness.

2

to express disapproval or correct someone's statement

transitive

In the debate, he misquoted a statistic, but his opponent immediately picked up on it and corrected him.
He mistakenly attributed the quote to Shakespeare, but his professor picked up on the error and clarified the actual author.
l was recounting the story, but I got a detail wrong.Thankfully, someone picked up on it and helped me get the narrative right.
The journalist mistakenly said the capital of the country, but an attentive listener picked up on the error and tweeted the correction.
uring the book club discussion, one member made a claim about the plot, but another picked up on the error, having just finished the book the night before.

3

to refer to or comment on a topic or point that was mentioned earlier in a conversation

transitive

Earlier in our chat, you brought up a new book you were reading.I wanted to pick up on that and ask for the title.
To pick up on your previous statement about market trends, do you foresee any major shifts in the next quarter?
I remember you mentioned an interesting case study in our last meeting.Can we pick up on that discussion?
You hinted at some challenges with the current software.Can we pick up on that topic?
Picking up on what you said about budget constraints, how do you propose we allocate resources?