pick back up

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "pick back up" is correct and usable in written English.
It is an idiom meaning to resume doing something after a break. For example: "After lunch, we will pick back up with our meeting where we left off."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

41 human-written examples

The withdrawals are expected to pick back up again before Mr. Bush leaves office.

The New York Times

"The neighborhood went down when the kitchen went down, but it's starting to pick back up again," Mr. Ryan says.

The New York Times

"I think most of the private sector is anticipating the economy will pick back up in the second half of the year".

The New York Times

This is a recipe that you can easily start cooking, stop, and pick back up later if you need to, either after the blanching or after the sautéing.

The New York Times

For your favourite part, take the mic and sing, and when it's over, Elsa will pick back up without missing a beat.

Independent

The tone of the films and the feel of the character shift radically when we pick back up with him in "III" (1982).

The New Yorker

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

17 human-written examples

China's economy picks back up.

The New Yorker

But as stocks have picked back up, Mr. Kass said, he has noticed a new concern among investors.

The New York Times

I could have held those guys off, as fast as the car went after it picked back up".

The New York Times

Mr. Obenhaus wrote, "OMG, my head is exploding, who's writing this script?" The letter writing picked back up, and he returned a week later for another dinner.

The New York Times

If job growth picks back up again and the unemployment rate holds steady at 7.4 percent then the Fed is likely to reduce its purchases somewhat.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "pick back up" when you want to emphasize that something had stopped and is now starting again from where it left off. For instance, "Let's pick back up the discussion where we left off yesterday."

Common error

Avoid using "pick back up" when there wasn't a clear pause or interruption. Using "continue" or "proceed" might be more appropriate if there wasn't a distinct break.

Linguistic Context

The phrasal verb "pick back up" functions primarily to indicate the resumption of an activity, process, or state after an interruption. Ludwig shows several examples in news and media contexts, such as economic recovery or the continuation of a story.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

65%

Wiki

15%

Science

5%

Less common in

Formal & Business

5%

Encyclopedias

3%

Social Media

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrasal verb "pick back up" signifies resuming something after a pause or interruption, as confirmed by Ludwig. It's grammatically correct and commonly used across diverse contexts, particularly in news and media. While generally neutral in tone, it's suitable for many situations but can be replaced with more formal terms like "resume" or "recommence" in certain contexts. The phrase emphasizes the act of restarting from a previous point, making it useful for discussions about economic recovery, project continuations, or resuming narratives. It’s essential to use it when there was indeed an interruption, avoiding misapplication where continuous action is implied.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

take up again

Similar in meaning but slightly more formal.

resume

Single word alternative; more formal.

restart

Emphasizes beginning again after a complete stop.

get back to

Focuses on returning to a task.

recommence

More formal and less common alternative.

start again

Simple and direct way to express resuming.

continue

General term for carrying on without necessarily implying an interruption.

carry on

Informal way to say continue.

reopen

Implies opening something that was previously closed, either literally or figuratively.

proceed

Formal way to indicate continuation.

FAQs

How can I use "pick back up" in a sentence?

You can use "pick back up" to indicate resuming an activity after a pause, such as "We will "pick back up" the project next week" or "The economy is expected to "pick back up" in the second half of the year".

What is an alternative to the phrase "pick back up"?

Alternatives include "resume", "restart", "continue", or "carry on", depending on the context.

Is "pick back up" formal or informal?

"Pick back up" is generally considered neutral in tone and can be used in both informal and semi-formal contexts. For highly formal situations, "resume" or "recommence" might be more suitable.

What's the difference between "pick back up" and "continue"?

"Pick back up" implies that there was a prior interruption or pause before resuming, while "continue" simply means to keep going without necessarily having stopped.