variants
also peck order
as in hierarchy
the way in which people or things in a group or organization are placed in a series of levels with different importance or status
As an assistant manager, he was pretty low in the company's pecking order.
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Recent Examples of pecking order
Around a quarter of an hour from the finish line, however, a Marcus Rashford that has fallen down the pecking order and lost the left wing berth to midfielder Fermin struck in another one-on-one.
—
Tom Sanderson, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2026
The government would lend Spirit $500 million at a reasonable interest rate, and become the top debtor in the bankruptcy pecking order.
—Olivia Rinaldi, CBS News, 24 Apr. 2026
The pecking order of capitalism favors the few at the very top.
—Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner, Bon Appetit Magazine, 14 Apr. 2026
Rua Esperanza is at the top of the neighborhood’s custom-home pecking order, Work said.
—David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 11 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pecking order
Tom Sanderson, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2026
The government would lend Spirit $500 million at a reasonable interest rate, and become the top debtor in the bankruptcy pecking order.
—Olivia Rinaldi, CBS News, 24 Apr. 2026
The pecking order of capitalism favors the few at the very top.
—Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner, Bon Appetit Magazine, 14 Apr. 2026
Rua Esperanza is at the top of the neighborhood’s custom-home pecking order, Work said.
—David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 11 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pecking order
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pecking order
Noun
-
The descendants of successionists and their admirers attempting to re-establish racial hierarchy in America.—
Chadd Scott,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
-
Aubameyang, who at 36 is the oldest player in Marseille’s squad, apologised to Tahri and the club hierarchy.—
Tom Williams,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
Noun
-
However, there is no definitive national ranking from 2013 showing Los Angeles and New York City tied as the safest big cities in the country.—
James Ward,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
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The slightly lower ranking came amid recent La Nina conditions, which typically cause a temporary dip in global average temperatures.—
Dan Peck,
ABC News,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pecking order.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pecking%20order. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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