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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Beyond the subtle nod to the Apple TV show, Carden, 46, recently talked to PEOPLE about Cola's surprising habit of raw-dogging her flights.—
Desiree Anello,
PEOPLE,
9 May 2026 -
Naomi’s acoustic guitar kept feeding back, causing our stage to spew out the kinds of screeching frequencies that dogs famously hate.—
Katie Gavin,
Time,
8 May 2026
Verb
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Pratt has continued to needle Bass over her response to the wildfires.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
11 May 2026
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After injectable GLP-1s soared in popularity in recent years, the introduction of oral versions is seen as a way to expand the market to needle-adverse patients.—
Jeff Marks,
CNBC,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Several visiting unaffiliated curators, who would not go on the record for this story with quotes, begged for more cohesion.—
Nate Freeman,
Vanity Fair,
8 May 2026
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Most regular folks, including the thousands of fans streaming into Quail Hollow Thursday, would beg to differ.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
8 May 2026
Verb
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Citing statements from jurors and a county clerk who aided Hill, Murdaugh's lawyers say Hill urged jurors not to be confused by Murdaugh's defense tactics and to watch his body language — and that she was motivated by plans to publish a book about the case.—
Bill Chappell,
NPR,
13 May 2026
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Cfoto | Future Publishing | Getty Images India, the world's second-largest gold consumer, has raised import duties on gold and silver to 15% from 6%, just days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged citizens to curb bullion purchases for a year as overseas purchases pressure the rupee.—
Priyanka Salve,
CNBC,
13 May 2026
Verb
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That’s likely welcome news to educators around the country battling a growing attention crisis in classrooms some attribute to constantly nagging smart electronic devices.—
Mack DeGeurin,
Popular Science,
29 Apr. 2026
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The milquetoast nature of the statement — with its measured language and nonexistent call to action — and the broader absence of real accountability have nagged at me for weeks.—
Uzma Rentia,
STAT,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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There were other stories that bothered him more, like a post by a writer who recounted a chaste one-night stand with Tea Party activist and Senate candidate Christine O’Donnell that described her pubic hair.—
Frank DiGiacomo,
HollywoodReporter,
8 May 2026
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However, in the wild, the algae are the ocean’s introverts, and only glow when they are bothered, like jolted by a crashing wave or the hull of a passing boat.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
7 May 2026
Verb
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Their hounding defense and Johnson’s decision to aggressively trap Anthony Edwards blew the game wide open, as the Spurs let the Wolves take open 3s, and Minnesota missed almost all of them.—
Jon Krawczynski,
New York Times,
7 May 2026
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The team has been rocked by a rash of red cards and hounded by both injuries and inconsistent play.—
Ryan Finley,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
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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 16 May. 2026.
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