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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But the question of the Tour dogged his entire career.—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
8 July 2025 -
Netanyahu's outwardly triumphant visit to the White House, his third this year, is dogged by Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza and questions over how hard Trump will push for an end to the conflict.—
arkansasonline.com,
arkansasonline.com,
8 July 2025
Verb
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Tennis legend Chris Evert needled WNBA players for lack of sportsmanship following Tuesday night’s skirmish that saw Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark get poked in the eye and shoved to the ground in a game against the Connecticut Sun.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
18 June 2025
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On the set, between takes, Anne needled her assistant, Young Sun, who was arranging ricotta gnocchi on a sheet pan.—
Allen Salkin,
HollywoodReporter,
18 June 2025
Verb
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Frazier then tried to subtly get the answer to the question fans have been begging to know — is Rihanna having a baby girl?—
Mya Abraham,
VIBE.com,
30 June 2025
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Within a month, my friends were begging me for more.—
Tim Carter,
Hartford Courant,
28 June 2025
Verb
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Please contact your members of Congress and urge them to support ongoing U.S. investments in foreign assistance.—
Sarah Ferguson,
Forbes.com,
9 July 2025
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While no human cases have been reported, the city is fogging affected areas and urging residents to take precautions.—
Marina Johnson,
The Courier-Journal,
9 July 2025
Verb
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Editor’s Note: Is anything ailing, torturing, or nagging at you?—
James Parker,
The Atlantic,
1 July 2025
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With all the things that could go wrong constantly nagging you, your best bet is to control the controllable aspects of your hunting season.—
Josh Honeycutt,
Outdoor Life,
26 June 2025
Verb
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If Waldron wasn’t battered, then Phillies starter Zack Wheeler was hardly bothered.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 June 2025
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While notification bundles were an option before, they were primarily used for messaging, and not all developers bothered.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
30 June 2025
Verb
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Brunson, who was hounded by a new primary defender in Andrew Nembhard, scored 19 points and finished 8-of-18 from the field.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
1 June 2025
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Brunson pounded the air out of the ball at midcourt, hounded by the Pistons’ rising defender Ausar Thompson, whose superhuman combination of length, athleticism, and foot speed had bothered Brunson all series.—
Alphonse Pierre,
Pitchfork,
22 May 2025
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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 14 Jul. 2025.
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