as in to pick at
to subject (someone) to constant scoldings and sharp reminders
kept pecking at their prodigal daughter to get off the couch and to start looking for a job
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for peck (at)
Verb
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The same complaints about Tom Thibodeau have dogged Malone.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
6 June 2025 -
His elder brother, New York Mayor William O'Dwyer, was dogged by unproven allegations of gangland ties.—
Dan Morrison,
USA Today,
28 May 2025
Verb
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Not all of her tips and tricks to staying fabulous involve undergoing a knife or needle though.—
Michelle Lee,
People.com,
6 June 2025
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Notably, Musk swept up Thune and Speaker Mike Johnson in addition to Trump, needling them over their past debt concerns.—
Shelby Talcott,
semafor.com,
6 June 2025
Verb
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Over the course of his prolific, three-decade career, the American filmmaker has established a signature aesthetic and working style that could convince any actor to beg him for a part — almost any actor.—
Ryan Coleman,
EW.com,
5 June 2025
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But when your 3-year-old is begging for it, concentrate on your kid’s joy instead of dreaming of force feeding a cold pizza of gravel and gnats to that singer. 5.—
Chris John Amorosino,
Hartford Courant,
4 June 2025
Verb
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With Israel saying its operation could last weeks, and Netanyahu urging Iran's people to rise up against their Islamic clerical rulers, fears have grown of a regional conflagration dragging in outside powers.—
Alexander Cornwell,
USA Today,
15 June 2025
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Residents are urged to stay alert, remain aware of their surroundings.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
15 June 2025
Verb
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Editor’s Note: Is anything ailing, torturing, or nagging at you?—
James Parker,
The Atlantic,
10 June 2025
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But one odd question still nagging at astronomers is: What’s the galaxy size cutoff where this trend stops?—
Phil Plait,
Scientific American,
22 May 2025
Verb
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Understandably, the online narrative bothered the director as well.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
6 June 2025
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This is an arrangement that bothers Kagi's founder.—
Ryan Whitwam,
ArsTechnica,
6 June 2025
Verb
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On a single New York possession with approximately four minutes remaining in the third quarter, Pascal Siakam hounded ballhandler Josh Hart just beyond midcourt.—
Joe Vardon,
New York Times,
31 May 2025
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That means Curry can expect another series in which he's hounded by younger, athletic wings.—
Ross Terrell,
Axios,
4 May 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Peck (at).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/peck%20%28at%29. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
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