1
as in nibbling
to eat reluctantly and in small bites
found out that fashion models never really eat—they just peck at small meals in expensive restaurants
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stabbing
to penetrate or hold (something) with a pointed object
the bird continued to peck the suet cake intently
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Recent Examples of pecking
The siblings have been caught pecking and pushing each other during a feeding session.
—
Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 8 Apr. 2026
Choose cloth that is dense enough to prevent the birds from pecking for seeds.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 2 Apr. 2026
The scene is right out of the 1950s with students pecking away at manual typewriters, the machines dinging at the end of each line.
—Jocelyn Gecker, Fortune, 31 Mar. 2026
Our guy is just pecking away at his little typewriter or writing his memories in longhand.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026
The lead stretched to 12 early in the third quarter, but slowly and painfully for Parker, the hosts, with Archer attacking the glass, kept pecking away.
—Don Norcross, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Mar. 2026
Still, Lamb said lovebirds, like other parrots, can sometimes be violent with each other, screaming and pecking one another with beaks powerful enough to crack open seeds.
—ABC News, 13 Feb. 2026
The canine doesn't react in fear; the pup leans farther over the edge of the boat to get a closer look at the sizable creatures, almost pecking the whales on their massive mouths.
—Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 19 Jan. 2026
By the time a new museum renovation has hatched, a successor is already pecking through its shell.
—Jackson Arn, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 8 Apr. 2026
Choose cloth that is dense enough to prevent the birds from pecking for seeds.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 2 Apr. 2026
The scene is right out of the 1950s with students pecking away at manual typewriters, the machines dinging at the end of each line.
—Jocelyn Gecker, Fortune, 31 Mar. 2026
Our guy is just pecking away at his little typewriter or writing his memories in longhand.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026
The lead stretched to 12 early in the third quarter, but slowly and painfully for Parker, the hosts, with Archer attacking the glass, kept pecking away.
—Don Norcross, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Mar. 2026
Still, Lamb said lovebirds, like other parrots, can sometimes be violent with each other, screaming and pecking one another with beaks powerful enough to crack open seeds.
—ABC News, 13 Feb. 2026
The canine doesn't react in fear; the pup leans farther over the edge of the boat to get a closer look at the sizable creatures, almost pecking the whales on their massive mouths.
—Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 19 Jan. 2026
By the time a new museum renovation has hatched, a successor is already pecking through its shell.
—Jackson Arn, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pecking
Verb
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And then there’s some outings where there’s too much nibbling with the cutter, with the sweeper, as opposed to staying on the attack.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
27 Apr. 2026
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In October 2025, a TikTok user posted a video of a gray squirrel nibbling on the mouth end of a vape device in Philadelphia.—
Ryan Brennan,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The woman, whose identity has not been made public, allegedly is seen hitting the man believed to be Alexander in the back, resulting in him promptly stabbing her in the hand.—
Staff Author,
PEOPLE,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Prosecutors said Andrews attacked Cressman, 39, striking him with a cricket bat before fatally stabbing him.—
Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
To get there, a city needs a gigantic outdoor footprint, real tourism appeal, public transit, adequate hotel inventory, and a backdrop that makes people want to show up even if their team is picking 24th and taking an offensive lineman.—
Dan Zaksheske OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
26 Apr. 2026
-
San Francisco kicked off its Saturday selections by picking Oklahoma defensive tackle Gracen Halton with the 107th overall pick.—
Graham Womack,
Sacbee.com,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Another firefighter told investigators Lewin also choked the patient after jabbing his eyes.—
Angie DiMichele,
Sun Sentinel,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Evgeni Malkin was good-naturedly jabbing the media for asking about his future in Pittsburgh.—
Josh Yohe,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In Famesick, Dunham says Driver would habitually yell on set, once even throwing a chair against the wall next to her and puncturing the wall of his trailer with a fist.—
Anna Zucca,
Vanity Fair,
15 Apr. 2026
-
The tactic has become more popular with smugglers as police on the beaches try to thwart crossings by puncturing the rafts that groups of migrants have to inflate and carry to the water.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The shortstop broke his bat on one pitch and a shard hit teammate Steve Yeager in the on-deck circle, piercing the catcher’s throat.—
Kirk Kenney,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
-
New video captured the horrifying moment a Florida police officer’s body camera stopped a bullet from piercing his chest while conducting a routine investigation last month.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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At one point, Davies can be seen sticking her head out of the open window and waving to park officials below.—
Natalia Senanayake,
PEOPLE,
24 Apr. 2026
-
For most of her first two seasons, the league treated her like just another player, sticking her on the back of posters and leaving her out of promos.—
Bobby Burack OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Pink Jet is an all-female flight crew on a mission as their bright pink Albatros fighter jet soars through the sky, spitting out pink smoke with pilots dressed in pink flight suits.—
Ashley Sharp,
CBS News,
25 Apr. 2026
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Moving to the couple's bedroom, the HGTV star can be seen dropping clothes on the floor right in front of the hamper, before brushing her teeth in the bathroom and spitting out water all over the mirror.—
Natalia Senanayake,
PEOPLE,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pecking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pecking. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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