# pick one's battles

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/pick-ones-battles
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To involve oneself in disputes only if one is likely to win.

## Examples

- You should pick your battles at work.
- She learned to pick her battles rather than arguing about every small detail with her boss.
- To maintain peace in the office, the manager wisely chose to pick her battles, ignoring minor mistakes to focus on the project's success.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.