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
Even with the loss of Adam, the Padres’ pecking order in late-and-close games is clear.
—
Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Sep. 2025
For all its challenges, China continues to upend the global pecking order.
—William Pesek, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025
The pecking order largely determines practice opportunities during the season.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 26 Aug. 2025
The changes will allow a new pecking order to be established, giving any team the chance to nail the new regulations and get a head start on the 2026 season.
—Nelson Espinal, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pecking order
Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Sep. 2025
For all its challenges, China continues to upend the global pecking order.
—William Pesek, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025
The pecking order largely determines practice opportunities during the season.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 26 Aug. 2025
The changes will allow a new pecking order to be established, giving any team the chance to nail the new regulations and get a head start on the 2026 season.
—Nelson Espinal, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pecking order
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pecking order
Noun
-
Jackie Dube, chief people officer at The Predictive Index, believes this trend reflects deeper workplace issues, especially among younger employees who may struggle with outdated hierarchies and lack psychological safety.—
Bryan Robinson,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
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McCullers’ usage before his injury accentuated his standing within the bullpen hierarchy.—
Chandler Rome,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Earlier this week, in partnership with data firm Statista, Newsweek published its ranking of World's Best Smart Hospitals 2026.—
Katherine Fung,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
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Although there was a lot of buzz about Nelson’s arrival in the offseason because of his recruiting ranking, Maddux Madsen won the starting job going into the 2024 season.—
Sam Khan Jr,
New York Times,
11 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pecking order.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pecking%20order. Accessed 19 Sep. 2025.
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