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
Choose cloth that is dense enough to prevent the birds from pecking for seeds.
—
Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 27 Aug. 2025
Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 27 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pecking
Verb
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Reynolds argued that contemporary pop is less about innovation and more about revisiting previous decades, blurring distinct eras, and nibbling away at the present’s identity.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
11 Sep. 2025
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As Noack played, people stood overlooking the valley with wine glasses in hand or sat barefoot in the grass, nibbling on olives and cheese.—
Elena Valeriote,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Advertisement Advertisement Adolescence, a series about a 13-year-old boy named Jamie Miller (Cooper), who is arrested because he’s accused of stabbing a female classmate, racked up 13 Emmy nominations this year.—
Olivia B. Waxman,
Time,
15 Sep. 2025
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The homeless felon accused of stabbing a young Ukrainian commuter to death on a Charlotte light rail train comes from a household where run-ins with the law have been a way of life.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Daniel yells after jabbing his net into the bank.—
Wesley Bruer,
CNN Money,
8 Sep. 2025
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Gunn starts jabbing his fingers into Corenswet’s chest.—
Adam B. Vary,
Variety,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
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But a growing number of people seem to be picking the team to finish first in the AFC West.—
Robert Marvi,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025
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Prices vary based on color and size, but shoppers will score the biggest discounts when picking them up in Portman’s exact mushroom shade.—
Averi Baudler,
PEOPLE,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Wi-Fi 7's puncturing capability is designed to isolate the interference, enabling devices to use the remainder of the channel.—
Rob Pegoraro,
PC Magazine,
3 Sep. 2025
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These posts implicitly criticize the government by puncturing its narrative of economic progress.—
Michael Schuman,
The Atlantic,
26 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The region’s oft-sung-about grayness turns neon, swirling together in a piercing hue of evergreen and dark blues.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
16 Sep. 2025
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When Kim Kardashian and her 12-year-old daughter were spotted in Rome recently, the masses zeroed in on the dermal piercing North West had in her middle finger.—
Sherri Gordon,
Parents,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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And sticking close to home may pay untold dividends for inhabitants’ mental health, Gorman said.—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN Money,
12 Sep. 2025
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Have fun sticking it to the man—or the raccoon, as the case may be.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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That heated game ended in a post-match brawl that included Inter Miami players and a Seattle staff member throwing punches and Miami forward Luis Suarez spitting on a Sounders security official.—
Michelle Kaufman,
Miami Herald,
17 Sep. 2025
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They might be asked to try to prompt the chatbot into spitting out a wrong or toxic response.—
Phoebe Liu,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pecking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pecking. Accessed 19 Sep. 2025.
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