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.
Related Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of pecking order
More importantly, the feature film debut of Alex Russell gets how the pecking order within those who orbit around potential supernovas can change in a nanosecond.
—
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 23 Aug. 2025
His departure leaves Mims, Franklin and Bryant jockeying to be the next guy in the pecking order behind Sutton.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 20 Aug. 2025
Mikal Bridges reached the Finals with Phoenix, but was behind Devin Booker, Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton in the pecking order.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 20 Aug. 2025
The first Chiefs depth chart is out, and the 2025 draft class looks to get plenty of action based on the pecking order.
—Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pecking order
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 23 Aug. 2025
His departure leaves Mims, Franklin and Bryant jockeying to be the next guy in the pecking order behind Sutton.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 20 Aug. 2025
Mikal Bridges reached the Finals with Phoenix, but was behind Devin Booker, Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton in the pecking order.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 20 Aug. 2025
The first Chiefs depth chart is out, and the 2025 draft class looks to get plenty of action based on the pecking order.
—Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pecking order
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pecking order
Noun
-
When the hierarchy isn’t clear, visitors waste energy figuring out where to go instead of engaging with your content.—
Goran Paun,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
-
See how far the Packers moved up the league's hierarchy.—
Jim Reineking,
USA Today,
2 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Taylor and Wasserman both said Milwaukee County could not single-handedly solve the entire state's arts funding problem and that responsibility for Milwaukee's ranking lies in the state Legislature.—
Claudia Levens,
jsonline.com,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Financially, Mexico also fares well, though safety and air quality continue to drag down its overall Quality of Life ranking.—
Laura Begley Bloom,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pecking order.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pecking%20order. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share