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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Pet Food The internet at large may suggest using cat or dog food to feed birds in a pinch.—
Madeline Buiano,
Martha Stewart,
6 Jan. 2026 -
The Police Department has long been dogged by accusations of racial discrimination against Black officers in its ranks.—
Ben Wheeler,
Kansas City Star,
29 Dec. 2025
Verb
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But there are other factors that needled their way into the evolutionary development of dormancy characteristics.—
Paul Cappiello,
Louisville Courier Journal,
9 Jan. 2026
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After not tweeting for over two years, Dokoupil returned to Twitter to needle the Guardian’s media reporter and push back against criticism of the show’s new framing from commentators like Larry Sabato and Atlantic writer Tom Nichols.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
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As a kid in Rochester, New York, Kane begged his parents for a dollar to play.—
Anna Rahmanan,
thehustle.co,
9 Jan. 2026
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While eating at the restaurant with her parents, Black begged for her own tasty drink and the bartender whipped one up, naming it after her.—
Greta Cross,
USA Today,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Crime Stoppers is urging the public not to approach the suspect, who should be considered armed and dangerous.—
Jeramie Bizzle,
CBS News,
12 Jan. 2026
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Pink and black, a similar color pairing, is one that Gage urges steering clear of in this day and age.—
Sarah Lyon,
The Spruce,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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But in the final moments, when Carol is back in her coach seat on the plane, something nags at her.—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
7 Nov. 2025
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Rather than nagging or framing missteps as failures, create initiation rituals that cue the brain to shift into work mode.—
Ana Homayoun,
CNBC,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Take a seat on an icy throne—the cold never bothered you anyway.—
Ginger Crichton,
Midwest Living,
9 Jan. 2026
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Don’t bother wasting your money—using it more than once a day won’t yield ‘better’ or faster results.—
Ali Pantony,
Glamour,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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While Edgecombe is hounding Brunson on one end, Tyrese Maxey’s got 1,200 square feet of real estate at Madison Square Garden on the other.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
4 Jan. 2026
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Legal issues hound the New England Scofflaws, with WR Stefon Diggs and DT Christian Barmore both ensnared over domestic issues.—
Greg Cote
January 1,
Miami Herald,
1 Jan. 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 13 Jan. 2026.
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